Moms Best Pie Crust Food

MOM'S BEST APPLE PIE

Steps:

• Peel, core, and pare apples.
• Mix all dry ingredients.
• Spread 1/3 of apples, followed by 1/3 of sugar mixture into the bottom of prepared unbaked 9in pie crust, repeat twice.
• Top with pats of butter, and cover with top pie crust. Cut star shape (an X) into center of crust, slightly pull back dough.
• Mix cream with vanilla, pour slowly into opening of crust.
• Place on cookie sheet, and bake at 400 for 50 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and juices are bubbling.

MOM'S LARD PIE CRUST

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in lard until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle in water, a tablespoon at a time, until pastry holds together. Shape into a ball; chill for 30 minutes. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Transfer to a 10-in. pie plate. Flute edges; fill and bake as pie recipe directs.

MOM'S PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Combine flour and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer. Cut butter into tablespoon pieces; add it to the flour and butter. Use the paddle beater to cut the butter and flour together. Alternatively, this can be done by hand with a pastry blender.
• With the mixer on low speed , or while stirring the mixture with a fork, pour in the cold water. When the dough starts to clump, and before it turns into a ball, stop stirring.
• Lightly knead dough in the bowl until it forms a ball. Divide dough into two parts. Flatten each part into a disk, and chill for about 30 minutes before rolling.

NO BUTTER PIE CRUST, MY MOM'S BEST

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Add the oil, all but the extra teaspoon, and lightly stir with a metal spoon until most of the flour is incorporated and pea-sized meal forms. There will be some larger clumps of dough too.
• Add the water 1 tablespoon at a time, incorporating after each addition. The dough should be soft and pliable, not cracking and dry. Add another teaspoon of oil to get there if needed, but do not add extra water. Divide the dough in half.
• Tear off two 15" sheets of waxed paper. Wipe the work surface with a sponge dampened with cold water to keep the paper from slipping. Place one sheet of waxed paper on the damp surface lengthwise in front of you, and place half of the dough in the center of the paper. Shape the dough into a flat disk and cover with the other sheet of paper lengthwise.
• Roll the dough, starting from the center of the disk and working your way out in every direction (think of working around the clock). The dough and paper do not turn; they stay fixed. As the rolling pin moves to the outer edges of the dough, be careful not to press to hard or else the dough will get too thin at the edges. Press more in the center, less at the edges, as you roll.
• Roll the dough 2 inches larger than the pie pan, making room for the dough to slide down into the pan and still cover the rim. The crosswise edges of the waxed paper can serve as a guide at 12 inches. Roll to that edge for a 10" crust, and just inside at 11 inches for a 9" crust. If the dough is rolled beyond the waxed paper, just scrape under it with a thin, sharp knife or spatula to loosen it before picking the crust up off the counter.
• Peel off the top piece of waxed paper and discard. Place the pie plate right next to the crust. Pick up the crust with its paper and invert it over the pie plate. Move the crust to arrange it evenly over the rim of the plate. Remove the waxed paper and discard. Gently lift the edges of the crust and ease the crust into the pan. Trim the crust all the way around the rim right up against the rim. If an area is short of the rim, patch it with trimmings.
• Fill the pie with filling (usually 5-6 cups of sugared fruit with some starch like flour or cornstarch or tapioca to hold it together), then roll the second half of the dough for the top crust just as you did the bottom crust, but roll this circle slightly smaller than the bottom crust (about an inch smaller). After the top crust has been arranged over the pie, trim the crust so that there is ½-1 inch overhang of the top crust beyond the rim. Tuck that overhang under the bottom crust all around the rim. This seals the pie and prevents drips.
• Crimp the edges of the pie in a rope design: place your thumb on the pastry rim at an angle and firmly pinch the dough between thumb and bent index finger. Push down into the rim as you pinch. Make the next pinch with thumb resting against the last pinched edge.
• Cut vents decoratively in the top. Rub or brush the entire top of the pie with milk. Cover the edges of the pie with a pie guard or pieces of foil, crunching it well so it stays in place. The foil is not a perfect science; just get it to cover as much of the edge as possible.
• Bake as directed depending on your pie filling. A general rule is 425 degrees for 50 minutes or so, until a fruit filling is bubbling vigorously and the crust is golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool; the filling will firm up some as the pie cools, so it's always best to bake your pies early in the day on the day they will be served.. Serve lukewarm or at room temperature. The pie will keep on the kitchen counter for a couple of days, loosely covered with waxed paper or foil.

MOM'S PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Mix flour and salt in medium size bowl.
• Cut in shortening with pastry blender until uniform with pieces no larger than a pea.
• Break egg into measuring cup and beat.
• Add milk to egg to just over 1/2 cup (about 1/2 cup plus a table spoon total milk and egg) stir well.
• Blend egg and milk mixture into flour mixture with a fork until liquid is no longer present.
• Very lightly knead dough and form into a ball (Over working the dough is the most common reason for pie crust failure!).
• Cut Dough in half.
• Roll out and use with your favorite filling. Makes a top and bottom crust. divide recipe in half for a single crust pie.

MOM'S BEST PIE CRUST RECIPE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar and salt, until thoroughly combined. Add the cold shortening and butter. Cut in with a pastry cutter or two knives, until the mixture combines into small pieces no larger than the size of peas and resembles coarse meal. See video. Gradually add the cold water one tablespoon at a time and toss with a fork, until the mixture begins to stick together and starts to clean the sides of the bowl. It usually takes me about 5 tablespoons of water, for a regular double crust, but this varies. Test the dough by grabbing some and pressing it between your fingers to see if it sticks together. If it doesn't, add a little more water, toss to combine and check it again. See Video. With your hands, gather the dough and press it into a ball. Divide the dough in half. Places each dough ball onto a piece of plastic wrap and flatten into a disk about one half inch thick. Wrap the dough in the plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least one hour or overnight, before rolling. If only using one dough disk, the other can be placed in a freezer-safe bag and frozen for 3-4 weeks and then defrosted in the fridge. Before rolling the dough, lightly flour your work surface, rolling pin and the dough. Place your rolling pin in the center of the dough and roll forward and back. Avoid rolling to the very edge. Lift the dough and turn it slightly, as you roll. To prevent the dough from sticking, place a little more flour on your surface every few turns and lightly flour you rolling pin when needed. If the edges begin to come apart, press them back together, as you roll. If the dough sticks to the surface, don't try to pick it up with your fingers or it will tear. Lightly flour a spatula (the kind for flipping eggs) and gently slide it under the dough to release it from the surface and then add a little flour to the surface and continue rolling. Sticking like this usually means the dough is getting too warm, so try to work quickly. Measure the dough: Take your pie plate and turn it over and place it on your rolled dough. There dough should be about 1-2 inches larger than your pie plate. To move the dough to the plate: Lightly flour your rolling pin. Starting at the top of the dough, gently roll the dough around the rolling pin, towards you. Slide your pie plate in front of you, and then lift the rolling pin, so that you're holding the dough above your plate. Starting at the part of the plate closest to you, leave about 1-2 inches overhang in the front and then unroll the dough into the pie plate. Once the dough is in the plate, gently position it evenly, if necessary and gently press the dough into the plate. Handling the dough too much or pulling on it, can cause shrinkage, so be gentle. If you notice any small holes or tears in the dough, try to lightly press them together with your finger. If necessary, take a small piece of dough from the excess and create a patch, by pressing the dough gently over the tear and smoothing it out. You can also do this, if you see any very thin spots. Excess dough can be trimmed. Edges can be tucked under and sealed, pinched, or pressed down with the tines of a fork. Cover the dough lightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes, before filling and baking. Enjoy! Notes: 1) Use the Deep Dish Double Crust for a regular double crust pie if desired, especially if you're new at making pies. It will give you some extra dough to work with. 2) The dough must be chilled for at least one hour before rolling, but longer is better. I prefer overnight whenever possible. If the dough is not cold enough, the butter and shortening will soften quickly making the dough difficult to roll. Enjoy!! Recipe by: Diane Kometa