Carla Halls Perfect Pie Crust Food

CARLA'S CLASSIC PIE DOUGH

Steps:

• Dissolve the sugar and salt in 1/3 cup water and chill until cold.
• Pulse the flour and butter in a stand mixer until the mixture looks like coarse meal with some pea-size pieces. Add the water all at once and mix until the dough almost forms a ball. Divide the dough in half and flatten into two disks.
• Wrap each disk tightly in plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least 30 minutes or up to 3 days. You can freeze the dough for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before rolling.

SWEET POTATO PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Put the sweet potatoes on a foil-lined half-sheet pan. Bake, turning once, until very tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. When cool enough to handle, take the sweet potatoes out of their jackets and scrape the flesh into a 1-quart measuring cup. You should have 2 1/2 cups packed sweet potato.
• Raise the oven temperature to 425 degrees F.
• Line the frozen dough with foil and fill with pie weights. Bake until dry and set, about 25 minutes. Remove the foil with the weights and bake the dough until golden brown, about 5 minutes longer. Let cool completely, then place on a half-sheet pan.
• Transfer the sweet potato to a large bowl and add the cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, salt, butter, brown sugar, and the evaporated milk. Beat with a heavy whisk until smooth. Taste and add more brown sugar if you'd like. The amount will depend on the sweetness of your spuds. Add the eggs and whisk until fully incorporated. Pour into the pie crust and spread evenly.
• Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Bake until the top is golden brown and the filling has puffed and set, about 40 minutes. If the crust browns too quickly, cover it with foil and continue baking. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
• Dissolve the sugar and salt in 1/3 cup water and chill until cold.
• Pulse the flour and butter in a stand mixer until the mixture looks like coarse meal with some pea-size pieces. Add the water all at once and mix until the dough almost forms a ball. Divide the dough in half and flatten into two disks.
• Wrap each disk tightly in plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least 30 minutes or up to 3 days. You can freeze the dough for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before rolling.

CARLA HALL'S PERFECT PIE CRUST

Steps:

• In a small bowl, dissolve the sugar and salt in the water. Refrigerate until very cold, about 30 minutes. During that time, refrigerate your butter, flour, mixer bowl, and paddle, too. Make sure your butter is cut into 1/2-inch dice. Bigger pieces will make your dough puffy. In the chilled bowl, combine the cold butter and flour. With your hands, toss the butter in the flour until each cube is lightly coated. With the chilled paddle, beat the flour-butter mixture on low speed to just break up the butter, about 30 seconds. Add the water mixture all at once and raise the speed to medium-low. Beat just until the dough comes together in big chunks, then immediately turn off the mixer. .Divide the chunks of dough in half and very gently pat each group into a round 1-inch-thick disk. Wrap each tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour, before rolling. You can refrigerate the disks for up to 1 day or freeze for up to 3 months. Helpful Tips: 1. Make sure that all the ingredients are cold. 2. Mix with your fingertips, not your palms. Fingertips are cool, while your palms are hot. 3. When mixing the flour and butter, pick up some of the flour and butter, squeeze it, and drop it. 4. Make discs with the dough -- rather than a ball -- so that it is easier to flatten.

CARLA HALL'S CRANBERRY APPLE PIE

Steps:

• For flaky pie crust(if using storebought crust, skip this):.
• Combine water, salt, and sugar in measuring cup. Stir and place cup in fridge for at least 15 min (to chill water and to dissolve sugar and salt). If possible, chill mixing bowl and paddle attachment if possible.
• Combine flour and butter pieces in mixing bowl. On medium speed with mixer, cut butter into flour until butter pieces are the size of small pebbles. With the mixer running, pour the water from previous step into the butter mixture. Mix until the dough comes together.
• Separate the dough into 2 disks. Wrap each with film and chill.
• Roll chilled pastry dish out to fit a 9-inch pie dish. Prick all over dough with a fork. Bake on 375 for 10-15 minutes, or until it is lightly golden. Set aside to cool.
• For Cranberry Apple Filling:.
• In a large bowl, combine apples and cranberries (frozen and dried) Stir in salt, sugars (brown and granulated), nutmeg, and cinnamon. Stir in the zest and juice of 1 lemon. If you don't like cranberries try dried cherries or raisins instead.
• In a small bowl, combine water, cornstarch, and vanilla. Quickly stir mixture into apples. Adjust seasoning if desired.
• Fill pie dish with apple filling.
• For Crumble Topping:
• Place all the topping ingredients into food processor and process until butter has been cut into the mixture. Carla tip: if you overmix your crumble just add extra nuts or oatmeal.
• Sprinkle topping over top of pie filling. Bake at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes.
• Enjoy!

CARLA HALL'S MISSISSIPPI MUD PIE

Steps:

• For the Brownie Batter: Gently melt butter and chocolate together in a glass bowl in the microwave or over a pot of simmering water. In a separate bowl whisk together eggs, salt, sugars and vanilla.
• Stir egg mixture into chocolate mixture, and then add flour. Stir just until combined.
• For the Chocolate Pudding: Combine 3/4 cup granulated sugar, salt, cocoa powder and flour in a medium bowl. Slowly stir milk into dry mixture.
• Put mixture in medium sauce pot and cook until mixture begins to thicken.
• Beat egg yolks in a small bowl, then briskly stir a small amount of the hot mixture (about 1/2 cup) into this mixture. Add egg yolk mixture back into the hot mixture in top of double boiler and stir in butter and vanilla. Cook until mixture thickens again. Set aside.
• To Build Pie: Preheat oven to 350°. In a small bowl, combine the crushed chocolate sandwich cookies with the butter until thoroughly mixed. Press into a lightly greased springform pan. Bake for 15 minutes to set the crust.
• Scrape brownie batter into the chocolate crust, forming an even layer. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out somewhat clean. Allow to cool slightly, and then pour pudding over the brownie layer, spreading into an even layer.
• Combine the heavy cream and vanilla and whip until peaks form, and use to top the chocolate pudding layer. Garnish with more crushed chocolate sandwich cookies.