Theobroma had severe financial trouble before Covid and took on external investors, they've never recovered since, just cruising on name recognition
They sell pre-cooked pre-packed (known as "parbaking" in the industry) goods from huge factories these days & just reheat in store
A Baker's Guide to Perfect Pie Crust and Filling
The key to a perfect pie starts with a flaky crust. "Pie Apostle" Ken Haedrich recommends partially baking your crust—or "parbaking"—for single-crust nut, sweet potato, and pumpkin pies. This simple step prevents the filling from making the bottom crust soggy.
When you're making the dough, remember to work with cold butter and cold flour. This creates a flakier texture. Haedrich also advises against handling the dough too much. Use a light touch, unlike when you're kneading bread. For an easier way to mix, Baker Julianna Butler suggests using a food processor instead of mixing by hand.
Want a crust with great flavor and texture? Rebecca Bloom of Piedaho uses a mix of butter and shortening. The butter adds rich flavor, while the shortening, with its higher melting point, helps create those light, flaky layers.
Not all apples are created equal when it comes to pies! Haedrich recommends using firm, juicy apples that have a good balance of tartness and sweetness. Steer clear of varieties like Red Delicious, which can get mushy. He prefers Northern Spy and Winesap for their excellent texture and complex flavor.
If you're feeling adventurous, try adding a different fruit. Haedrich loves apple-pear pie, noting that pears have a "more seductive flavor" and a wonderfully soft, buttery texture. For a fun, no-fuss option, culinary expert Capri Cafaro suggests a cookie crust made from Oreos or vanilla wafers—it's easy and adds a unique flavor.
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Pizza devotees know that parbaking ensures a chewy, sturdy crust. But an expert chef thinks that might be a mistake. Read his pizza-saving advice here.
chowhound.com/1808754/when-p…
About half an hour underproofed, but I was hungry. Parbaking without docking them (putting holes in the crust) makes them puff up like a pita and brings to mind an enormous(ly satisfying) falafel/shwarma/doner
No, that tracks making pie from scratch. Expect just about most baked goods to take two hours between making the crust(s), the filling, parbaking the lower crust, cooking the filling if needed, baking the pie, and pulling it out of the oven and all.
Double the apples in your Apple Crumble by parbaking them first. Here’s how he packs in 4 pounds of apple with this method. Recipe here: cooks.io/3XTwDSP
A little ugly in the process of parbaking the crust and cheese but we made a Chicago style deepndish in our cast iron tonight because @CrochetCupcake1 was craving it. Tons of sage, sausage garlic, bell pepper sauce and half a stick of butter with added seasonings and salt.
This is the sourdough pizza base recipe I used. I’m usually a fan of thin crispy pizza base, but thought I would try this. The parbaking made sure it was crunchy and didn’t go soggy, despite my overload of toppings. Recommend! #sourdoughtheclevercarrot.com/2022/11/…
Parbaking my NYC-style pizza dough ~ 4 mins and then cooling it to room temp before assembling the pie and finishing the cook has been a game-changer given my lack of any >500° oven. Got this level of color on a stone (not steel) in a 480° Breville, and coulda left it in longer.