I simply cannot make a good pie crust. Good thing I have a few other things I can make. But a good old fashioned homemade pie crust is just not in the cards fo rme.
However, my daughter can do it. When she was in second grade she watched my sister make pie crust for Thanksgiving pies. And ever since then when I need a pie crust, I turn to my daughter to make them for me.
The supposedly "fail-proof" recipe is as follows:
1 1/2 c all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c shortening (my sister always used Crisco)
4-5 Tbsp ice cold water
Mix flour and salt. Add shortening and blend with the pastry blender. When you have pea size crumbles, add the ice water, one tablespoon at a time.
Roll out onto a floured surface. Fold dough in half then in half again to transfer to a pie plate.
My favorite pie is apple pie with a crumb topping. My secret ingredient is ground cloves. I peel and slice 6-8 Granny Smith apples and add 1-2 Tbsp flour, 3 Tbsp sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon and 1/2 tsp ground cloves. The cloves add warmth and depth to the pie's flavor. The crumb topping is a 4 Tbsp of flour, 1/2-3/4 c sugar and 1/2 stick of butter mixed until crumbly.
The recipe says to cover the edges of the pie with aluminum foil so they won't burn then bake at 375 for 30 minutes. Then remove the aluminum foil and bake for another 30 minutes.
Heaven~~even on a hot summer day since after all, warm pie and ice cream are absolutely delicious and refreshing!
Since I am the pie crust making daughter I would like to my mother's post. The add amount of water is not exact. You want to add one spoonful to a side of the bowl, mix it there and push it to the side. Sometimes you may use 4-5 tablespoons. Other times you may use 6-7. It really all depends. It will not have the consistancy of regular bread or pizza dough. It will be sort of dry and may even not want to clump together. In that case you will want to use your hands and gently mold it into a ball. The more you touch it the more the tougher the crust wil bee. Also, it wiil be a slightly off white color vs. yellow-ish. On top of that when you roll out a pie crust you don't want to roll back and forth. You want to roll from the center out. I apologize if these instructions are a little jumbled, but I am only a freshman in highschool so I have not had as much practice in writing out recipe instructions.
ReplyDeleteI also apologize for any typos I just made. My thoughts ran faster then I could type!
ReplyDeleteAnd might I add. . .for all the cooking and baking I can do, I just can't get the hang of pie crusts. I watched my mother and my sister make a lot of pie crusts over the years. I still think it is part magic!
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