![]() ![]() The butter/flour coating (right) doesn't result in any flakiness (old wives' tale, I guess) but nonetheless is velvety in texture, and pleasantly buttery.Ĭoarse sugar (left) melts just a bit, but retains its crunchy texture and gives the crust some sparkle. The cinnamon-sugar (right) adds color and wonderful flavor, but I should have been more careful when sprinkling the opaque patch signals too thick a coat.Ĭonfectioners' sugar (left) creates a wintry appearance, like hoarfrost on a meadow. Note how regular granulated sugar (left) melts a bit to form shards of sweetness. Swedish pearl sugar, a coarse-grained, bright white sugarĪnd here they are, baked and ready to enjoy.melted butter topped with all-purpose flour, to create a thin layer of buttery flakiness.confectioners' sugar, superfine granulated sugar mixed with cornstarch.coarse sparkling sugar, a large-crystalled, "glittery" sugar.cinnamon-sugar, a mixture of granulated sugar and cinnamon.granulated sugar, the standard sugar you bake with. ![]() Starting at upper left and going to lower right, here are the toppings: On top, I place pastry rounds brushed with water (except one that's brushed with butter). I pile apple pie filling (no bottom crust) into the wells of a hamburger bun pan - which does slick double duty as a mini pie pan. ![]() Now, let's see what happens when we add toppings. Of course, if you plan on sprinkling the crust with your favorite sugar, the speckles will disappear. The butter crust offers a tiny bit more flavor than any of the others, but also has a somewhat speckled appearance, the result of milk solids separating from fat. In addition, the two egg crusts have a satiny/shiny finish, where the remaining crusts are basically matte, with perhaps just a hint of shine on the milk and butter crusts. You can see the results: both of the egg washes, milk, and butter add golden color to crust, with whole egg adding the most. I've also left one round untouched (upper left, the "control"), for comparison. I've brushed these pastry rounds with some popular crust toppings: egg white wash (egg white + water), water, whole egg wash, milk, and butter. Let's start with a base layer that'll support the sugar (and spice) to come. Anointing the top of your pie may seem like gilding the lily - I mean, how can you improve on your already perfect apple pie? But topping pie crust with a spritz of water and a sprinkle of sugar, or a quick brush of sweet butter followed by the merest drift of flour, can take your pie - both its flavor and its texture - to a new level. ![]()
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