The year is almost coming to an end, and along with its various festivities are drawing near. Ask anyone on the streets, and they will tell you that this is the best season for baking pies.
Now, the most crucial part of a pie, other than the filling, is its crust. Seasoned bakers will tell you that you should always make the dough for the crust in excess when baking a pie. Why so? Because, besides ensuring that all of your pie is covered, the crust may also be used to prepare various other treats.
Still don’t know what to do with leftover pie crust? Do not worry because we got you covered with today’s article, where we will be telling you about the various things that you could be doing with all that leftover pie crust. Read on to find out more!
What to Do with Leftover Pie Crust
Here, I’ll share some tips regarding the leftover pie crust.
1. Store It in the Freezer
Storing your leftover pie crust in the freezer will save you a lot of time and prove useful when you do not have enough time to make preparations for a special occasion.
You do not have to worry too much about how to store your leftover pie crust since they usually freeze very well and will stay in optimum condition for up to 90 days. If you feel like the leftover dough would be enough to turn into another pie crust, separate it from the dough and flatten it using a pin and roller.
Next, gently put it on the pie pan like how you would if you were actually baking a pie, and then cover the whole thing with plastic and stow it away in your freezer. Whenever you feel like using it, take it out and let it defrost for a while at room temperature.
2. Make Nut Cookies Out of Them
If you are wondering what to do with your leftover pie crust, why not just make something new out of it? To be more specific, you can always bake a new batch of cookies from all that leftover pie crust dough.
In order to make nut cookies from the pie dough, cut up a few nuts of your choice and add them to the dough before kneading it properly to ensure that the nuts actually get incorporated into it.
Next, roll out the dough on a well-floured board using your hands so that the width of the dough sheet is about three-quarters of an inch. Afterward, with the help of a cookie cutter, cut out individual cookies and line them up on a sheet tray before putting the tray in the oven.
Wait for the edges of the cookies to start turning brown before you take them out. Remove them from the tray and let them cool down a bit before serving or storing them.
3. Prepare Savory Snacks
You can prepare some tasty snacks as well. For example:
4. Make Chicken in a Blanket
You can put your leftover pie crust to good use and make the ever so famous appetizer called “chicken in a blanket” from it.
In order to make chicken in a blanket, you first need to lightly powder your flour board with flour and then flatten the crust over it with a pin and roller. Next, you have to cut out small triangles from the dough. The most suitable triangle for this treat is one that has a base length of one inch and a height of 3 inches.
Once the triangles are ready, take a small chicken piece, place it on the base of the triangle, and start rolling it upwards towards the dough’s pointy side. After you are done with wrapping the chicken pieces, brush a little bit of egg wash on the rolls and let them bake in the oven until they turn a light golden-brown color.
5. Cheese Crackers
Yet another excellent example of a savory dish you can make using leftover pie crust is cheese crackers. To make it, you will need a cheese that you will be able to shred (like parmesan or cheddar).
Layout your pie crust dough, and with the help of a knife or a square-shaped cookie cutter, remove pieces of the dough and cover it with your desired cheese. You can even use more than one kind of cheese, as long as it tastes good.
Afterward, place them on a lined sheet tray and bake until the cheese melts and the dough’s edges start to turn brown. Remember to maintain a steady thickness of around 1/8th of an inch for the crackers.
6. Make Bite-sized Quiche
Bite-sized quiches are great because not only are they fantastic appetizers, but they are also super easy to make. If you have leftover pie crust at home, you can make quiches with it by following just a few steps.
Using a pin and roller, roll out your dough on a well-floured surface before cutting it into circles that are bigger in diameter than your muffin molds. Line the molds with the circle-shaped dough and secure it by pressing the dough against the sides.
Fill up the molds with your quiche filling and then bake for a quarter of an hour at around 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
7. Make Cinnamon Rolls
Start off by flattening out your leftover dough on an evenly powdered surface. Afterward, add cinnamon and sugar in a 1:4 ratio in a bowl and mix it well before dusting the mixture over the dough, ensuring that all corners are covered.
Before baking, the final step is to simply slice the dough in your desired width and slowly rolling each strip from the bottom up with utmost care. Put it in the oven in a lined sheet tray and bake until the rolls are a golden brown. Dust a bit more cinnamon powder on the rolls and serve with some piping hot tea!
8. Make Empanadas on the Go
To make empanadas, you have to follow the same procedure of flattening out your dough and then cutting it into small circles (of not more than three inches in diameter). Afterward, gently brush some egg wash over the edges of the circle and place a dollop of your desired flavored jelly on the center of the dough.
Fold the dough in half and seal the edges with the help of a fork before placing it on a tray and baking them until they turn golden brown.
9. Make a Topping for Your Ice Cream
Anything can be turned into an ice cream topping if you know the right method. The same can be said for the leftover pie crust. This step is by far the easiest and will not require any additional cutleries either.
You simply need to bake the crust until it is crispy and then crush it into pieces and pepper the crumbs over your ice cream whenever you want to.
10. Turn It into a Top Crust
In order to turn your left-over pie crust into a top crust, all you need to do is roll it out and then place it on top of your uncovered pie. This will help protect the contents of the pie from the direct heat of the oven and prevent them from drying out.
Before placing the second crust on the pie, apply some egg wash on the rims of the first one in the pan to ensure that nothing comes off. After you are done fixing the second crust in place, bake the pie like you usually would and serve.
Conclusion
We hope you found this article helpful and now know what to do with leftover pie crust. Hopefully, the next time you bake a pie, it will be much more hassle-free, and you will also be able to prepare some side treats in the process. Thanks for reading!