Abstract: A high pressure press including a cup-shaped die member having a relatively narrow, essentially rigidly fixed outer confining lip movable into engagement with a flat bed to define a closed fluid tight cavity for compressing a dough patty into a flat shell. The die and bed are heated to 360.degree.F to bake the dough and generate gases trapped within the cavity. Any of the dough escaping between the lip and bed is compressed to a very thin, film-like connection which becomes brittle on final baking and easily removed. Just prior to raising the die, the holding pressure is eliminated which releases the gases without noticeable adverse effect on the characteristic of the shell. A plate-like vacuum chamber is moved between the die and bed with a bottom perforated plate is superimposed overlying relationship to the shell and dropped down onto the shell to attract the shell for removal from the die. A plurality of piercing pins are provided on the underface of the perforated plate to perforate the top of the shell.