Always Perfect Pie Crust Or Pastry Food

GRANDMA PLATT'S ALWAYS PERFECT PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Mix milk and vinegar together in a small bowl. Let sit until milk curdles, about 5 minutes.
• Combine flour, shortening, and salt in a large bowl; mix with a pastry blender or your hands until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in milk mixture until dough comes together.
• Roll dough on a floured work surface using a floured rolling pin.

PERFECT PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Dice the butter and return it to the refrigerator while you prepare the flour mixture. Place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse a few times to mix. Add the butter and shortening. Pulse 8 to 12 times, until the butter is the size of peas. With the machine running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse the machine until the dough begins to form a ball. Dump out on a floured board and roll into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Cut the dough in half. Roll each piece on a well-floured board into a circle, rolling from the center to the edge, turning and flouring the dough to make sure it doesn't stick to the board. Fold the dough in half, place in a pie pan, and unfold to fit the pan. Repeat with the top crust.

ALWAYS PERFECT PIE CRUST OR PASTRY

Steps:

• In a very large bowl combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Cut in butter leaving pea sized chunks.
• In a 2 cup glass measure whisk water, sour cream, and vinegar; pour, all at once into flour mixture, and quickly distribute. Stop!
• Make sure dough is slightly crumbly. Divide dough mixture into 3 equal portions (about 12 to 13 ounces each) Refrigerate for 2 hours and best overnight (finish by hand). DO NOT OVER MIX- the finished dough should break, not stretch.
• Gently knead in bag to bring dough together. Form into discs.
• Use at once or wrap and store in refrigerator for several days or in freezer for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in refrigerator if frozen.

PERFECT APPLE PIE!

Steps:

• Prepare a double pie crust as directed.
• Roll out one disk on a lightly floured surface into a 12-inch circle and place the pastry in the pie plate.
• Gently press the dough into sides pie plate leaving an overhang of crust.
• Refrigerate while preparing the apple filling.
• Set oven rack to the second-lowest position and heat to 425 degrees.
• Peel, core and slice the apples into 1/2-inch slices (no larger than 1/2-inch).
• Place in a bowl and gently toss the apples with the fresh lemon juice.
• In a small bowl combine sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg (if using).
• Add the sugar mixture to the apples and toss well to coat.
• Transfer the apple mixture into the chilled prepared crust and mound the apples slightly in the center.
• Dot with 2 tablespoons butter.
• Roll out the second pastry, and place over filling.
• Flute the edges together.
• Make several slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape (if the pie dough is too soft, place in the freezer for 10 minutes).
• Whisk an egg white with a fork, and brush onto top of crust.
• Sprinkle with sugar.
• Place on a cookie sheet to catch any spills.
• Bake for 25 minutes.
• Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees (leave the pie in the oven and do not open the oven door) continue baking for about another 30-35 minutes, or until the crust is deep golden brown and the fruit is bubbling.
• Transfer to a wire rack and cool for at least 4 hours before slicing the pie.
• TO MAKE PIE WITH CRUMB TOPPING: in a bowl combine 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1-2 teaspoons cinnamon; mix well with a spoon.
• Add in 1/2 cup COLD butter (no subs) cut into small chunks and mix together with your fingers to combine well.
• Add in some chopped walnuts if desired.
• Place in the fridge while preparing the pie.
• Make the pie filling exactly as directed, and dot with 2-3 tablespoons of butter before sprinkling on the topping.
• Bake as directed, but cover with foil the least 15 minutes of baking.

PERFECT PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Pour flour and salt into a medium sized bowl.
• For sweet pies you can add the sugar and cinnamon at this stage, or you can add the onion and garlic powders for savory items as well.
• Cut butter into small pieces (I quarter my butter lengthwise and then cut off the pieces).
• Add butter to flour. Mix butter in until you have what resembles course meal.
• In small bowl, combine egg yolk with 2 tablespoons of the water and beat together.
• Add to flour and butter mixture and blend together until you have a firm ball of dough.
• Wrap in plastic cling wrap and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes.
• Remove dough and roll out evenly on either waxed paper or a floured surface.
• Press rolled dough firmly into pie plate, poking holes along bottom and sides with a fork to allow venting.
• Beat egg white with remaining tablespoon of water and brush the inside of your bottom crust with mixture. This helps the bottom crust bake flaky and remain crispy when baked with a filling.
• If using this to make a 2-crust pie, beat remaining egg white/water mixture with 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar until slightly foamy. Place a thick glaze of this on the top crust for sweet pies to get a lovely sweet golden brown flake on the top of your pie! For savory pies omit sugar but still glaze. It makes your pie look beautiful!
• Bake at 325 degrees for 15 minutes if only baking shell, and approximately 35 minutes when baking with filling. Crust is done when it is golden brown.

PERFECT PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Sift measured flour and salt into a bowl.
• Pour oil into glass measuring cup and add cold milk to make 3/4 cup liquid.
• Pour liquid into bowl and stir with a fork to mix well.
• Stir until it forms into a soft ball.
• Save half the dough to use later.
• Roll remaining half of dough into circle between two sheets of wax paper.
• Peel off top layer of wax paper.
• Place pie pan upside down on top of rolled out dough.
• Slide hand under bottom wax paper with top hand lightly on pan.
• Flip pan, crust and wax paper over gently.
• Crust and wax paper will gently settle into pan.
• Then peel second wax paper off crust.
• Fit crust into pie pan, make standing rim, and prick with fork.
• I use pie weights to keep shell flat.
• Bake in oven 450°F for 8- 10 minutes.

PERFECT PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Cut each stick of butter into 8 pieces, and refrigerate until needed. Place the flour, salt, and sugar in a large mixing bowl, and mix to combine.
• Add the chilled butter. Using a pastry blender, incorporate the butter into the flour mixture; the mixture should resemble coarse meal with small pieces of butter, the size of small peas, remaining visible.
• Drizzle 2 tablespoons ice water over the flour-butter mixture, and blend. Repeat with an additional 2 tablespoons water. At this point, you may have to add more water: When a handful of dough squeezed together just holds its shape, you've added enough; if the dough crumbles, continue incorporating water, 1 tablespoon at a time, checking the consistency after each additional tablespoon.
• Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface. Divide into two equal pieces, and place on two separate sheets of plastic wrap. Flatten, and form two disks. Wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• Lightly dust a clean, dry work surface with flour. Place the chilled dough in the center of the work surface, and dust the dough as well as the rolling pin with flour. Position the rolling pin on the center of the disk, and begin rolling the dough away from you. Give the disk a quarter turn, and roll again. Continue turning and rolling until you have an even 1/8-inch thickness. Turning the dough as you roll will prevent it from sticking to the work surface. A dry pastry brush is handy to remove any excess flour during and after the rolling process.
• Lightly butter the pie plate. To minimize stretching when moving the dough, roll it around the pin, lift up, and unroll over the buttered pie plate. Using your fingers, gently pat the dough into place. Trim any excess dough with a paring knife or kitchen shears, leaving a 1-inch overhang; then fold dough under to reinforce the edge.

GRANDMA'S SECRET PIE CRUST

Steps:

• In large bowl mix flour and salt. Cut in shortening with two butter knifes.
• In separate bowl, mix together egg, vinegar, and water. Drizzle wet mixture into dry mixture, cutting it in.
• Roll out dough, and fit into two 9 inch pie pans.
• Bake at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) for 12 minutes.

PERFECT SHORTCRUST PASTRY

Steps:

• Weigh out the 1lb self raising flour and remove 3 tablespoons if you are making sweet pastry, 2 tablespoons if you are making savoury. Then add 2 tablespoons of cornflour and 1 tablespoon of icing sugar for sweet pastry and 2 tablespoons of cornflour and the salt for savoury. Place into the food mixer, I have a Kenwood K Mix but any will do the same job although food processors will do the job much quicker and it is easy to overwork the pastry with them, so be careful. You can do it by hand of course.
• Cut the butter and Trex into small cubes and put in the Kenwood with the K beater on to rub the fat into the flour, have on slow speed until it resembles breadcrumbs.
• Add the 1 egg and enough cold water whilst the machine is still running until it starts to come together. Stop the mixer and combine the dough into a ball, wrap it in clingfilm and put in the fridge for at least an hour. Never, ever over handle pastry or add too much water, this will make it tough - it should feel soft and come together with just a little encouragement.
• Roll out with a little flour make your desired recipe and cook at 220 degrees until golden brown. I always put pies on a flat baking sheet preheated with the oven. This pastry will be golden and short and melt in the mouth, almost like shortbread.

BASIC SUET CRUST PASTRY

Steps:

• sift the flour into abowl, then sprinkle the suet in, season if desired and just mix it in lightly with your hands to distribute it evenly.
• Now sprinkle in some cold water (you'll find you need more for this pastry than for shortcrust).
• Begin mixing with around bladed knife, and then use your hands at the end to bring it all together to a smooth elastic dough that leaves the bowl clean.
• suet crust should be left for 5 minutes, then rolled out immediately. You should always roll it out more quickly than shorcrust, approximately 1/2 inch thick.

PERFECT PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.
• Using fingertips, rub in butter and shortening until mixture resembles coarse meal.
• Add vinegar.
• Use a fork to mix in enough water to form moist clumps.
• Gather dough into ball, divide dough into two equal portions.
• Flatten each portion into a disk.
• Wrap each in plastic wrap, chill 45 minute.
• Soften slightly at room temp.
• before rolling out.
• Fill pie with filling of your choice and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes at 400 degrees.

ALWAYS PERFECT APPLE PIE

Steps:

• 1. Place 1 pie crust in the bottom of pie plate. Unroll second pie crust and cut into 'strips' of pastry.
• 2. Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat.
• 3. Add flour and stir together until smooth.
• 4. Add white and brown sugar, water, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
• 5. Stir together until smooth, simmer for 3-4 mins.
• 6. Add apples and toss to coat.
• 7. Add coated apples to pie plate; reserve some remaining liquid.
• 8. Lay pastry strips over apples in a criss-crossing pattern and press ends to the top edge of bottom pastry. Use the longest pieces for the middle of the pie, and the shorter pieces towards the outside, leaving about 1 inch in between rows.
• 9. Crimp the edges closed.
• 10. Lightly brush the top of pastry lattice with some remaining sugar syrup mixture.
• 11. Drizzle any remaining mixture over the pie allowing it to run down into the apples through the pastry lattice.
• 12. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes.
• 13. Reduce heat to 350 and bake for another 40 mins.