Hugh Yemen's Pie Chimneys
I suppose this is old news to you bakers, but I just discovered the joys of pie chimneys! I received two ceramic birds for Christmas, and on Saturday I tried them for the first time in the deep-dish apple pie I was making. I think it was the best apple pie I've ever made. The filling came out so perfectly tender and the bottom crust so wonderfully dry and flaky that it can't be a coincidence. I don't think I'll ever again bake a pie without a chimney.
The difference in quality between the bottom crust of a pie from which most of the steam has been allowed to vent, and one from a pie in which all the steam has been allowed to run amuck, cannot be overstated.
Here are some pictures. To give you a sense of the scale, this pie contains the makings of two overstuffed ten-inch pies.
Pie Chimney 1
Pie Chimney 2
Pie Chimney 3
Pie Chimney 4