Hi App User!

Pie-baking can sometimes be tricky. With soggy crusts, I’ve found that placing the pie plate on a cookie sheet when baking sends more heat to the bottom of the pie and helps the bottom crust bake faster. But if that doesn’t work, sometimes it’s necessary to “parbake” (or prebake) the bottom crust before adding the filling. If you find a particular recipe gives you a soggy bottom crust, try this: Fit the bottom crust into the pie plate, then poke it all over with a fork (this is to allow steam to escape so the crust doesn’t puff up). Then, to further keep the dough down, nestle a foil pie plate into the  pie dish, or line the crust with foil and fill with dried beans or pie weights. Then bake the crust (without the filling) for 5 to 10 minutes, until it is beginning to lose its moisture, but just before it begins to brown. Remove the pie plate or foil and pie weights, add the pie filling and bake as usual. Hope this helps!

(This Ask Betty question was sent to Grandma Betty through the My Great Recipes app. Get Grandma’s carefully selected recipes on your smartphone for just 99 cents!)