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

[frigilux]

Many years ago, a frustrating, disastrous attempt at pie crust left me reluctant to give it a second try. I settled into a long-term relationship with Pillsbury's super-convenient "unroll and go" version. While the pies looked great, taste was merely average.

Today, in Kelly's memory, I made a double-crust apple pie. In the interest of full disclosure, I used a crust recipe from America's Test Kitchen/Cook's Illustrated, whose tested techniques/recipes had the blessing of AW's most prolific baker.

With my trusty iPad on the counter, I pulled up a pie-making video from the ATK site and went to work. I'm pleased to report the process couldn't have gone more smoothly. Hope it's not a case of beginners luck!

This recipe uses a food processor to cut in a combination of shortening and butter. Didn't think to grab the camera until after that step had been completed. If you've never used a processor to start your pie dough, I highly recommend giving it a try. The cutting-in process took less than a minute.

Here, the dough has just emerged from an hour's cool-down in the refrigerator, ready to be rolled.[this post was last edited: 9/22/2013-17:29]

 

[frigilux]

The dough was rolled out on a flour-covered sheet of baking parchment with a sheet of plastic wrap on top. Made rolling very quick and easy, as you didn't have to continually turn the dough. Still in their parchment/plastic wrap envelopes, they were refrigerated, stacked atop each other on a baking sheet, for 30 minutes while the filling was prepared.[this post was last edited: 9/22/2013-13:26]

 

[frigilux]

My beloved "Peel Away" on duty.

 

[frigilux]

A sugar/flour/spices mixture is stirred into the apples.

 

[frigilux]

With the bottom crust in place, the 9-inch Pyrex pie plate is filled.[this post was last edited: 9/22/2013-13:27]

 

[frigilux]

Following an egg white wash and a sprinkling of sugar, it's ready for the oven.

 

[frigilux]

The finished product.

Hand-to-heart: Kelly, I will never again use a Pillsbury crust!

 

[norgeway]

I was amazed too..

I never had problems with biscuits or any other breads, just pie crust, but this recipe really is easy...where did you get that peeler, I hate peeling anything!

 

[rp2813]

I saw one of those peelers at Savers recently and passed it by.  I'm regretting that decision now, although I didn't know if the gadget had all of its parts.

 

That crust is beautiful.  I don't think I have the patience though, let alone the counter space.

 

[westie2]

You can get the apple peeler at Wal Mart they are like the one Frigilux has or you can also get one that clamps onto a counter top or table. To peel potatoes you just remove the corer/slicer blade. We have had ours for over 30 years and use it every year.

 

[frigilux]

HANS-- I absolutely detest peeling/coring apples, too. There are a number of peelers on the market, but this one is awesome, and only about $20. Mine was gifted to me 15 years ago. The suction base stays secured to the counter without fail. My mom had a peeler that clamped to the edge of the countertop and it was terrible to work with. She could peel an apple very quickly, so she always peeled by hand.

Mine says "Peel Away" on it. The provided link (to Amazon.com) lists it as "Back To Basics--Peel Away". A user review mentions that it is the top-rated peeler by America's Test Kitchen/Cook's Illustrated. My experience with it has been excellent.

I make a huge pan of apple crisp for the lounge at work occasionally. The recipe calls for 24 peeled and cored apples. Can you imagine doing that by hand? The Peel Away makes very quick work of it.

RALPH-- Thanks! The pie is nearly cooled, and I can't wait to cut into a slice to compare the taste of the crust to the Pillsbury version. Check out this photo of the peeler. If the one you found looks like it has all the parts, you might want to try it. Don't get it if it requires to be clamped to the countertop.

http://www.amazon.com/Back-Basics-Apple-Potato-Peeler/dp/B0000DE2SS/ref=pd_sbs_hg_1

 

[nmassman44]

That pie is just gorgeous, absolutely gawgeous! That reminds me I need to make Kevin's Apple Pie recipe that he had on here and on Cavelcade of Food. I have been using the store brand pie crust from Wegmans and from of of all places Price Rite and the Price Rite one you would swear is homemade. It's that good and much better than Pillsbury.
I did buy the peeler as well. I found the same peeler pictured above at Ocean State Job Lots here in Mass for $6. I was looking at them at Williams Sonoma and they wanted $35. Same thing. I absolutely love the peeler and it makes it so much easier to peel, core and slice at the same time. Makes life so much more pleasant when I am making and baking pies.

 

[mixguy]

Apple Peeler

Once I was shopping at Kitchen Collection and found 3 of these peelers in the clearance section for $6.00 each. I kept one and gave the other two away as Christmas gifts.

 

[frigilux]

The pie is delicious! The crust tastes as good as it looks. I'm sold on the shortening / butter hybrid. The shortening makes it easy to roll and handle (as with Kelly's recipe) and the butter lends its flavor.

Rolling the crust on floured parchment with a sheet of plastic wrap on top is the way to go. No tears in the dough despite having rolled it very thin. Flaky and wonderful!

 

[gansky1]

That looks wonderful!  Apple pie is always a favorite this time of year.  My mom and sister and I usually make a trip down to the orchards this time of year to get a supply of apples for "putting up" and usually last through the winter.  We have a peeler just like yours and it's a huge timesaver when working through a bushel or more of apples.

 

[gredmondson]

Beware of cheap imitations of that apple peeler! I have a good one and picked up another at Thriftown in San Francisco that looked like new. My five year old granddaughter was turning the crank, and it broke! It looked like cast iron, but it was so fragile!

 

[circlew]

That pie looks so good; wish I could stop by for some!

I got one of those apple peelers a year or so ago at Meijer, but never used it yet.

 

[mickeyd]

Congratulations, Eugene!

My mouth is watering for a taste of that Simply Gorgeous Apple Pie. You did Kelly proud and he'd be the first to say it's as beautiful as his own or more so: the fluting, the color, the design--OH MY.

Now, WHEN is that 3-D fax machine going to be ready where you can whisk off a piece of pie to an admiring fan?

PS: There is no pie like apple pie, the stuff of myth and legend.

 

[mickeyd]

While I've got you on the line,

We had butter people, lard people, and Crisco people in our family, but Aunt Margaret always used the shortening/butter combo like you did, and her crusts were the most flakey and delicious.

 

[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