Friday, August 20, 2010

NEVER FAIL PIE CRUST

Video Courtesy of KSL.com


If you missed me on Studio 5 yesterday, click the above link to see me demo FRESH PEACH PIE!

I mentioned on the show that I would post my favorite pie crust recipe. I really am a little bit of a crust snob. A lot of people think of pie crust as a un-important holder of all the "Good Stuff". But I think of crust as the foundation of a pie that will make or break the over-all success of the pie. I think the crust should be flaky, but also have a bit of depth and chew. If it's a sweet pie, there should be a balance of salt/sweet in the overall flavor. Bottom line, the crust should enhance the flavors of your pie filling, combining for an overall explosion of goodness!

I know, I know...I'm dramatic about my pies! So over the years, I've tried many, many different pie crust recipes. This one has become my absolute favorite for sweet pies, and I have to tell you...it never lets me down. I hope you'll give it a try.

I got this recipe about 10 years ago from a good friend who worked at a pie shop. She assured me at the time that I could share it with anyone, as long as I never said the name of the shop. The only difficulty with this recipe, is that it's a "bulk" recipe. The original recipe made a dozen pie crusts at one time. But over the years I've been able to reduce it to make 4 pie crusts at a time. Still a lot, but it's hard to reduce it much more because of the egg and vinegar. No worries though, pie crust freezes wonderfully. If you only need one or two crust, divide the rest of the dough, wrap in Saran wrap and freeze for up to 3 months.

OLD FASHIONED PIE CRUST

4 C. Flour
2 t. salt
1/8 C. sugar
1 1/2 C. butter flavored Crisco (the original recipe calls for lard...I use butter flavored Crisco to get the flakiness that lard would give and the flavor of butter. I'm not much of a Lard fan.)
1 egg
1 T. vinegar (I use apple cider vinegar)
water

1. Mix together the flour, salt, and sugar. Using a fork, fluff and mix until well combined.
2. Using a pastry blender, or fork, cut the Crisco into the flour mixture until the size of small pea's or a crumbly texture.
3. In a 1 cup measuring cup slightly beat the egg and vinegar. Fill the remainder of the cup with water and mix well. (I actually use a 2 cup measuring cup, so that while I'm mixing, it doesn't spill over.)
4. Pour the liquid into the dry ingredients and gently mix with a fork until the dough comes together.
5. Divide into 4 portions and roll out.

*For the best results I allow the dough to chill for 30 minutes or so. This isn't
absolutely necessary, but will help the crust hold it's form while baking. You can also roll out the crust, mold into your pie dish and chill it in the dish. This is especially helpful with pre-cooked crusts for cream pies, or fresh fruit pies.


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4 comments:

* Nancy * said...

What a beautiful pie! I just watched your studio 5 demo and I'm very impressed with the recipe - the ease of it. :)
I think this may be my first attempt at making a homemade pie...wish me luck.

Sarah said...

Sounds yum. I love hearing you are a pie crust snob. Those who aren't should be! I haven't had too much practice, but I think I will try now that I have a recipe from a fellow snob. :)

Unknown said...

Happened to turn on the tv and see you this week. Great Job!

pam said...

Hey Mindi! So ... if I want to bake my pie crust ... what temp and how long do I bake it???? I can look it up for a different recipe, I'm sure, but I wanted to ask the expert!

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