Sister Pie Crust Food

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.

SISTER PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Pulse salt, sugar, and 1 1/4 cups flour in a food processor to combine. Add butter and pulse until largest pieces are pea-size. Transfer to a medium bowl and freeze about 5 minutes.
• Combine vinegar and 3 Tbsp. ice water in a small bowl and sprinkle over flour mixture; toss with a fork to incorporate. Knead until dough comes together with just a few dry spots remaining. Flatten into a disk and wrap tightly in plastic. Chill at least 2 hours.
• Let dough sit at room temperature 5 minutes to soften. Roll out on a lightly floured surface, rotating often and dusting with more flour as needed to prevent sticking, to a 12" round. Fold dough in half and transfer to a glass 9" pie dish. Lift up edges and allow dough to slump down into dish. You should have about a 1" overhang. Fold edges under and crimp. Place pie dish on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet and freeze 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425°F. Lightly coat a sheet of foil with nonstick spray and place in pie crust, coated side down, pressing into bottom and sides. Fill with pie weights and bake until edge is pale golden, 15-20 minutes. Carefully remove foil and pie weights and bake crust until bottom is light golden for a fruit pie, 7-12 minutes, or golden for a custard pie, 12-18 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.
• Do Ahead
• Dough can be made 3 days ahead, or freeze up to 1 month. Crust can be baked 1 day ahead. Store tightly wrapped at room temperature.

ALL BUTTER PIE CRUST

Steps:

• In the work bowl of a food processor, fitted with the metal blade, add the flour, cake flour and baking powder. Combine the ingredients, by pulsing the ingredients 5 or 6 times. Add the butter, and again, pulse the ingredients 5 or 6 times, and then for 3-5 seconds, until there are small lumps of butter throughout the flour, about the size of peas.
• Through the feed-tube, with the machine running, quickly add 1/3 cup (a little more than 5 tablespoons) ice water. After about 20-30 seconds, the dough should come together and form a ball on top of the blade. If not, add a tablespoon of water. Do not over-process to ensure a flaky crust.
• Put the dough, and any little scraps on the bottom into a bowl together - pressing into two balls. Press each ball into a disc, about 1/3 to 1/2-inch thick. At this point, you can put the disc on a plate, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 2 days. The dough, wrapped well, also freezes well for 30-45 days (defrost in the refrigerator overnight before using).
• When ready to use, dust each side of the dough with a little flour, then roll the dough on a lightly floured surface to a circle about 1/8-inch thick. Rotating the disc, as you roll to maintain an even circle.
• Transfer the dough to a deep-dish 9-inch or 10-inch pie plate. Press the dough lightly into place along bottom and sides. Using a knife, trim the dough, leaving a 1-inch overlap*. Fold the dough in half to create a double thickness along the rim of the pie plate. Push lightly along the outer edge, leaving room for the dough to shrink on the rim during baking. Pinch the dough along the rim to create a decorative edge. Because this is an all-butter crust, it must be very cold going into the oven. Refrigerate the prepared shell for 30-60 minutes, or overnight lightly covered with plastic wrap.
• If a recipe calls for a baked pie crust (blind bake), simply "dock" the crust, which means, using a fork, prick the crust along the bottom and sides, or use pie weights. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Bake the crust at 425 degrees 15 to 18 minutes or until the sides begin to brown. (The initial high heat will force much of the steam out, helping the crust become flaky.) Remove the pan from the oven. Gently remove your pie weights. Reduce oven to 375 degrees and continue to bake the crust for several minutes until it's golden. Without the weight of a filling, a baking crust can shrink, fill with air pockets, and puff up with bubbles, so it is important to either dock the crust or weigh the crust down as it bakes. Weights are easier and you won't risk the filling leaking through the holes. This is done by lining the dough with parchment paper or foil (if you use foil, you may need to grease the dough first, to prevent the foil from sticking) and filling it with pie weights or a pie chain (or dried beans, pennies, rice, marbles, etc.) to hold its shape during baking.

EASY PECAN PIE RECIPE

Steps:

• Set pie crust out to thaw the night before, in the refrigerator, or set out at room temperature, until thawed.
• Place pie crust on a baking sheet and set aside.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together brown sugar, melted butter, corn syrup, salt and eggs.
• Coarsely chop 1 1/2 cups of pecan halves and fold into the pie filling.
• Pour filling into pie crust.
• Top with remaining pecan halves.
• Place pie in the center of a baking sheet and bake for 35-40 minutes or until the center is set.
• Let cool and store in the refrigerator before serving.
• Top with whipped cream, if desired.

FLAKY PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Mix flour and salt in bowl.
• Cut in 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoons shortening.
• Add water until everything sticks together.
• Roll out on floured board.