You Were Right, Kelly: It's Easy As Pie!

[ovrphil]

YUM

Nice job - this must be the recipe that has 1/4 cup of Vodka, that imparts a flaky crust...that's really a beautiful looking pie...and me and others will be trying it soon.

 

[washer111]

Yesterday I made an attempt at the Pie Crust with plain old "Crisco," as I had some friends coming to visit and wanted to try something new and "exciting."

 

Whilst the attempt was, well, a disaster (Was not sure whether to melt the "Crisco" or not or use the hybrid, so I tried both!), the crust (Well, more like Shortbread...) was still a firm favourite. It turned out to be very rich, but still tasty. I didn't want to push my luck, so I mostly ate the filling and the base.

I will definitely try this crust again, but I will definitely have to take more care. I think using a mixer might also work better - the "blender" we have isn't exactly "King of the Hill." That leads me to the question, what sort of "mixing tool" would I use? (Our recent Kenwood mixer only has a "K" blade, Dough Hook, "Spider's Web" hook and a beater).

 

 

 

 

 

[frigilux]

Thanks, Tom and mickeyd! Apple pie is definitely in my list of top 10 Comfort Foods.

Phil-- The wizards at America's Test Kitchen have also used vodka in one of their pie crust recipes, claiming the liquid evaporates more completely than water, leaving a tender, more flaky crust behind. I'll have to try it sometime.

 

[petek]

Making pie crust works best with cool temperatues.

Pie crust is easier to make when everything is cool.. The Crisco or whatever shortening, butter should be used quickly right out of the fridge and not allowed to warm up. You can even put your bowls and rolling pin in the fridge for 5 or 10 minutes before you start so they're cool. Never never over mix.. it can't be made in a regular blender and a mixer isn't all that much better except for larger batches. Use a hand pastry blender or jumbo sized fork or a food processor.. put the flour in, the cut up shortening and a tiny bit of water.. then a few very quick short pulses to start combining it.. add more water by the half teaspoon with a few more quick short bursts until it the flour takes on a small gravel or pea shaped consistency.. that's it.. There should be small chunks of shortening intermixed in all this. Take it out of the processor, lightly form it into a ball and then wrap in saran, quickly pat down and put back in the fridge for about 30 minutes. That's basically it. After about 30 minutes take it out again and start rolling

 

[ovrphil]

Credit due

Frigilux: I'm really slipping - that recipe is from America's Test Kitchen....forgot to mention - and it was extracted from an article in the web version of the NYTimes. Sorry!

 

[vacbear58]

@washer111

Pete is spot on with the necessity to have everything as cools as possible, use the K beater and it would do no harm to pop that in the fridge too if you can. You say your Chef is a recent one, so if it has a splash guard use that as well for, no matter how careful you are to start the machine on slow, you are likely to have some flour thrown out of the bowl.

Personally I always use a food processor to get crust to the crumb stage, tip it into a bowl and add the water by hand, mixing it with a small palate knife until it comes together.

AL