I'm a pie baker with access to an Epilog Zing 40W laser. I've used it to laser engrave the tops of pies, but something struck me this morning. Can I use the laser to cut out intricate shapes and designs in raw pie dough? The dough is only 1/8" thick and contains flour, butter, and water. Would the laser "cook" the dough as it's cut, or would it go so fast that it's effect would me marginal? Also, what would I use for a backer? The laser has a vector cutting grid, but it's been used to cut all kinds of material and I'd hate to contaminate the pie dough.
What a cool idea. Normally food products are cut with a water jet, never heard of using a laser. Would love to see some pictures of your laser work on a pie. I think you would only see some cooking on the immediate edge of the cut. Try it and see if it works, proabaly have to play around with power and cutting speed a bit. Maybe butcher paper as a backer? Waxed paper maybe?
UPDATE: Don't do this. It's a bad idea. Although technically it can be done, and done very easily, the results were not at all desirable. While cutting, the smoke smelled like burning hair. The stench was strong enough to embed in the dough, and eating a sample of the raw dough was unpleasant. When baked in the oven, the strong burnt-hair smell and taste was less overpowering, but the aftertaste was also unpleasant. So, if you need to laser cut fine detail in pie dough, it's easy and mess-free. However, don't eat it afterward!