Special Touches for the Upper Crust

All About Pie Crusts

For a shiny top, brush the crust before baking with slightly beaten egg white. If desired, sprinkle with sugar.
For a golden brown crust, brush before baking with milk, cream or an "egg wash" mixture of 1 egg yolk and 1 tablespoon water. If desired, sprinkle with sugar.
To make pastry cutouts, roll out scraps of leftover dough. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters or a knife. With water or egg wash, moisten the back of the cutout and place the design, moistened side down, on the top crust.
For cutout designs, use a knife or canapé cutter before setting the top crust over the filling.
For a snowflake design, fold the dough for the top crust into quarters on the work surface. With a knife, cut small slits or holes into the folded edges, tip and center of the dough segments. Unfold to reveal a snowflake shape, similar to the designs kids cut from folded paper.