Pies: A Practical Application

Summary

Pastry making, which utilizes scientific principles, can add variety to meals and provide fat, which is one of the nutrients humans get from digesting food.

Background for Teachers

Fat in one of the nutrients people get from the foods they eat. Because it is an important nutrient, some fat is needed in our for the body to stay healthy. Like other nutrients, fat should not be consumed in excess of what the body needs.

Pies should never replace fruits and vegetables, dairy products, bread and cereals, and meats. but they can add variety to meals and provide extra energy for people who are active.

To make a perfect pie every time requires a knowledge of the scientific principles involved as well as lots of practice. good pastry is the hallmark of a good pie. The term pastry is used to identify a variety of baked products rich in fat, such as Danish pastry ,to pies. This unit will deal mainly with pies.

Pastry is a stiff dough. Although the main ingredients are the same for bread dough, the proportions differ. Also, the final texture is different. Pastry is unleavened and contains about half the water of read dough and many times the shortening or fat. After baking, pastry has either a crumbly or flaky texture. The aim is to produce hundreds of very tiny, separate layer.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Students will analyze, synthesize, and construct pies utilizing scientific principles involved in pastry making.

Instructional Procedures

See attachments below:

The students will participate in an oral PREASSESSMENT to determine their knowledge of pie making. During discussion of the making of pastry and pie crusts the students will answer questions on the handout, PIE DETAILS: FACT OR FICTION? Correct answers in class.
Each unit or group of students will receive a strip of paper containing two questions. For 3 minutes they will discuss the answers within the group. A spokesperson from each group will read their questions and relay their answers to the class. (See PIE QUESTIONS.)
The students will find pie-related words and terms in PEI TERM SEARCH, and write a sentence about the function or role that each word has in the pie-making process.
The teacher will demonstrate a single pie crust using the conventional method and also using SINGLE-CRUST PIE DEMO FORM as a guide. As the demonstration is in progress, the teacher will cover the concepts and functions of each ingredient.

The teacher will demonstrate the various options of rolling out the pie dough: (1) using a breadboard, (2) using waxed paper, (3) using regular counter top, and using a (4) pastry cloth.

The teacher will also point out the difference and uses between a pre-baked pie shell and an unbaked pie shell.

The students will verbally answer review questions asked by the teacher during and after the demo. The students will complete lab sheets in preparation for their laboratory experience which will follow.
As a lab experiment, the students will prepare and compare single-crust pies. Each unit or group of students will prepare one of the four recipes provided using lard shortening, oil, butter, or margarine in the recipe as indicated. See FRENCH APPLE PIE, MEXICAN TACO PIE, FRENCH CHOCOLATE PEI, TORTA DE CHOCOLATE PIE.

If necessary, the teacher will complete the baking of the pies.

The following day, the entire class will examine each pie, evaluate, and record their observations on the PIE EVALUATION FORM. The students will then be allowed to eat their pies. The students will perform a FORMATIVE EVALUATION - TEST YOUR PASTRY SKILLS by rearranging the 21 steps for making a two-crust pie. Correct in class.
The teacher will demonstrate a two-crust pie using the conventional method of mixing the pie dough. The teacher will also illustrate the regular or solid top crust and the lattice top methods. See APPLE PIE DEMO FORM. Some students can be assigned as helpers to peel apples.

The students will verbally answer review questions asked by the teacher during and after the demo. The students will complete lab sheets in preparation for their laboratory experience which will follow.
The students will prepare a two-crust pie as a laboratory experience. See APPLE PIE recipe.

If necessary, the teacher will complete the baking of the pies.

The following day the entire class will examine each pie, evaluate, and record their observations on the PIE EVALUATION FORM. The students will then be allowed to eat their pies.
The students will write at least a one-half to one-page statement on what they feel are the most important things to remember about the preparation of pies.
The teacher will demonstrate the Hot-Water Method of pie dough preparation using SPRY'S FAMOUS WATER WHIP PASTRY DEMO FORM to illustrate that pie crust can be tender when made with this method but that it will no be flaky.
The students will choose to make one of two recipes as a homework assignment. The teacher will pass out copies of SPRAY'S FAMOUS WATER WHIP PASTRY and CREAM CHEESE PIE.

The students will report their reactions and results to the class. As an evaluation on pie making, the students will complete SUMMATIVE EVALUATION - PIES TEST.