Pie Crust Tip Alert! 🥧Want to nail that perfect pie crust? Don’t forget the pie weights—they’re essential for keeping your crust flat and even during blind baking (that’s when you bake the crust on its own before adding the filling). The best part? You can use what’s already in your pantry! Black beans, rice, or lentils work beautifully.Oh, and here’s the key: don’t forget to line your crust with parchment paper first—unless you’re in the mood for a bean-filled pie (oops!).Pie weights = perfect

Many of our pie recipes call for blind baking—baking the crust either partially or completely before adding the filling. But without a filling to hold the raw dough in place, the bottom can puff up or the sides can slump as it bakes, resulting in ugly, misshapen pies. To prevent this, the test kitchen uses pie weights. Our favorite pie weights: https://amzn.to/35qEMBk | America's Test Kitchen