Blind Baking Pie and Tart Shells

To blind bake means to bake an unfilled pie or tart shell partially or fully before adding the filling.

1. Line the dough with parchment paper and fill with pie weights, dried beans, or rice. The weights will prevent the bottom of the crust from bubbling up and the sides from collapsing or sliding down the sides of the pan during baking.
2. Place the pan in the preheated oven. The parchment and weights need only stay in the pan until the crust feels dry to the touch and begins to take on a golden brown color.
3. Once the crust has baked long enough so that it has set and will maintain its form (generally 10 to 12 minutes), remove the parchment and weights to allow for even browning.
4. Return the pan to the oven and bake the crust until the desired color is achieved. If the crust is to be baked again with a filling, bake it just until light golden brown. For a fully baked crust, bake to a deep golden brown, about 20 minutes. Pastry shells are partially prebaked when the time required to bake the filling will not be long enough to fully bake the crust. Shells are completely prebaked when they are to be filled with a filling that does not require further cooking or baking.
5. Brush prebaked pastry shells with a light coating of softened butter or melted chocolate and allow to set fully before filling. This will prevent moisture in the filling from seeping into the crust and making it soggy. Apply the thin coating to the shell using a pastry brush.
6. Place the shell in the refrigerator so that the butter or chocolate will harden, then fill the shell.