Pie Tin and Rolling Pin Substitutes!
This year was our first Thanksgiving while living in a trailer. We are blessed to be able to stay on my in-laws property when we are in town, and though we had to initially come back to town because my husband needed to travel for his job, we decided to stay through Thanksgiving. I was determined to help with the cooking/baking because I truly enjoy it, and I didn’t want to feel limited just because I am in a trailer and traveling full-time. I find joy in baking and I wanted to embrace the holiday!
As to whether or not I was able to pull it off, here is a picture of just some of my success:
Needless to say, I was definitely able to make it work ;). This picture doesn’t include the baked Candied Coconut Sweet Potatoes I made, or the stovetop stuffing I prepared. I had heard from so many sources that it would be hard or nearly impossible to bake in my trailer- and I was thrilled to prove those sources wrong!
That’s not to say that baking in a trailer doesn’t come with its challenges…
As I was baking, I realized there are a couple kitchen basics that I don’t have on board with me. While that might seem like a deterrent, it just made it a fun challenge, and I was still able to make everything work.
First off, it helps when you have a mom that’s a huge baker and lets you borrow all her dishes ;). There’s no way I could have made so many pies without her pie dishes! But when I’m on the road and not close to home, it’s not like I need to make 6 pies all the time when it’s just my little family. One or two pies are plenty. And I can definitely make them with something I already have on hand- my cast iron pans!
And it was the perfect substitution! The pie came out great- one side got a little darker than the other, but this would be easily solved by rotating it half way through the cook time; though I don’t even feel this is completely necessary because both halves were fine the way they were! The pie was spectacular, and honestly, I loved the rustic feel of eating pie from a cast iron pan. Living like pioneers over here!
If you’re in a crunch, you can really use any pan you have on hand. A cake pan, a tart pan, a springform pan, even a 9 x13 pan or muffin tins would work (just adjust cooking times and keep a really close eye on it!) And if all else fails, you can always buy the disposable pans from your local grocery store.
Another thing I realized I didn’t have on hand as I was about to start rolling out pie crusts- a rolling pin! I had a slight moment of panic, but I quickly realized as long as you can find some kind of cylindrical sturdy shape, you can make it work! I used my spray can of Pam- but you could use a wine bottle (if you drink), a vase, a PVC pipe, a sturdy cardboard tube, a water bottle, or anything that you have around! I would just make sure that you use something very clean, as it is coming in direct contact with the food you’ll be eating.
I don’t share all this to brag, but to simply show that you don’t always have to be limited when you don’t have all the right tools on hand. Sometimes you just need a little creativity and the love of baking!
As to whether or not I was able to pull it off, here is a picture of just some of my success:
Needless to say, I was definitely able to make it work ;). This picture doesn’t include the baked Candied Coconut Sweet Potatoes I made, or the stovetop stuffing I prepared. I had heard from so many sources that it would be hard or nearly impossible to bake in my trailer- and I was thrilled to prove those sources wrong!
That’s not to say that baking in a trailer doesn’t come with its challenges…
As I was baking, I realized there are a couple kitchen basics that I don’t have on board with me. While that might seem like a deterrent, it just made it a fun challenge, and I was still able to make everything work.
First off, it helps when you have a mom that’s a huge baker and lets you borrow all her dishes ;). There’s no way I could have made so many pies without her pie dishes! But when I’m on the road and not close to home, it’s not like I need to make 6 pies all the time when it’s just my little family. One or two pies are plenty. And I can definitely make them with something I already have on hand- my cast iron pans!
And it was the perfect substitution! The pie came out great- one side got a little darker than the other, but this would be easily solved by rotating it half way through the cook time; though I don’t even feel this is completely necessary because both halves were fine the way they were! The pie was spectacular, and honestly, I loved the rustic feel of eating pie from a cast iron pan. Living like pioneers over here!
If you’re in a crunch, you can really use any pan you have on hand. A cake pan, a tart pan, a springform pan, even a 9 x13 pan or muffin tins would work (just adjust cooking times and keep a really close eye on it!) And if all else fails, you can always buy the disposable pans from your local grocery store.
Another thing I realized I didn’t have on hand as I was about to start rolling out pie crusts- a rolling pin! I had a slight moment of panic, but I quickly realized as long as you can find some kind of cylindrical sturdy shape, you can make it work! I used my spray can of Pam- but you could use a wine bottle (if you drink), a vase, a PVC pipe, a sturdy cardboard tube, a water bottle, or anything that you have around! I would just make sure that you use something very clean, as it is coming in direct contact with the food you’ll be eating.
I don’t share all this to brag, but to simply show that you don’t always have to be limited when you don’t have all the right tools on hand. Sometimes you just need a little creativity and the love of baking!
Camille Hoffmann
Weekly Newsletter Contributor since 2014
Email the author! camille@dvo.com
