When Making A Pie With Graham Cracker Crust, How Can I Get The Crust Just Moist Enough?
I love making key lime pie. I've made it a few times this summer with this very simple and delicious recipe:
- 1 Container Cool Whip
- 1 Can Sweetened Condensed Milk
- 1/2 (or 1/3) C. Lime Juice
- 1 Graham Cracker Crust
Mix first 3 ingredients, pour into crust and refrigerate at least a few hours before eating.
The first time I made it, I used 1/2 C. lime juice (following the original recipe). I found it a bit too acidic, so I lowered the amount to 1/3 C. the next time and I enjoyed it much better. The first pie's crust got a little too wet after a few days of being refrigerated, but the second pie's crust didn't really get moist at all. I would like the crust to be somewhere in between, but I would like to maintain the amount of lime juice at 1/3 C.
Is there someway I can control how moist the crust gets over a few days of being in the fridge without changing the ingredient amounts/proportions or the fridge's temperature? For instance, something I can do before I pour the mixture into the crust or the temperature of the ingredients?
Best Answer
I've found by asking that most people don't bake the graham cracker crust before filling it. This is especially true if we're talking about a pre-made grocery store graham cracker crust.
It needs to be baked and "sealed" in the process and it will stay much firmer and hold up against the moisture longer.
I brush graham cracker crusts with an egg wash and bake for a few minutes until it toasts up a darker brown. The egg wash, when baked on, helps form a decent barrier against the moisture of the pie contents. This has the added benefit of a much better tasting graham cracker crust.
If you aren't used to doing this baking step, you'll probably be surprised how much better the pie turns out. You'll also start noticing how many unbaked graham cracker crusts show up at gatherings as it's immediately obvious the difference once you've seen both.
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How do you keep a graham cracker crust from getting hard?
Why is my Graham Cracker Crust hard? You may have added too much butter to the recipe, which hardens when refrigerated. It also might be hard because you are pressing too hard when forming the crust to your pan. You want to press hard enough to get a good shape and keep the crumbs in place, but don't go overboard.How do you make a graham cracker crust less crumbly?
If you feel that the crust is a little too dry or crumbly, you can melt an additional tablespoon of butter and stir it in. Once you've mixed up the graham cracker crust mixture, you'll scoop the mixture into a pie dish and press it down firmly on the bottom and up around the sides.Should you bake a graham cracker crust before filling?
There's really no compelling need to prebake Graham cracker crust since the crackers are already baked. However, if your filling needs baking, then naturally the crust will need to go in the oven too. Many cream pies don't require baking at all, so why not make it easy on yourself?Is it better to bake or chill a graham cracker crust?
To Bake or Chill a Graham Cracker Pie Crust As far as baking a graham cracker crust before filling it with a cream filling, that is a matter of preference. In a chilled crust, the butter becomes hard to hold the crust. In a baked crust, the heat melts the sugar enough to set the crust.More answers regarding when Making A Pie With Graham Cracker Crust, How Can I Get The Crust Just Moist Enough?
Answer 2
You can add some baking soda to the original recipe (1/2 c. juice or slightly less). Baking soda is alkaline (or a base if you're a chemist). It will neutralize the acid (source of tartness sensation). THOROUGHLY stir in less than 1/8 teaspoon at a time until the tartness is reduced to the level you wish. Be careful as too much will remove all the tartness and therefore the taste sensation the lime juice adds.
Answer 3
Here's a thought. What about brushing the crust with melted, clarified butter and chilling it for a few minutes first? That might provide a moisture barrier that would prevent it from absorbing so much water from the filling.
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