Tender Pie Dough Food

TENDERFLAKE PIE CRUSTS

Steps:

• Stir the flour and salt together.
• Cut in the lard with a pastry blender or 2 knives until the shortening is in pea size pieces.
• In a measuring cup, combine the egg and vinegar.
• Add enough cold water to make one cup.
• Stir the liquid into the flour mixture, adding just enough to make the dough cling together.
• Stir the water in with a wooden spoon until mixed thoroughly, then gather the dough into a ball, and separate into 6 portions.
• Cover and refrigerate for one hour, you can chill overnite, covered, providing you leave it at room temp for 15 mins before rolling.
• Lightly flour surface and roll into circles, then pat the dough into pie pans, following pie recipes. Be careful not to stretch the dough.
• This is also a good dough for tarts, but you will want to roll the dough a little thicker than you would for pies.

PIE CRUST IN THE FOOD PROCESSOR

Steps:

• Place butter and shortening cubes in the freezer temporarily to harden.
• Add flour, granulated sugar (if using) and the salt to a food processor fitted with blade attachment. Pulse until evenly incorporated. Add the butter and shortening cubes, a few pieces at a time with the motor running, until all fats are incorporated and pea-sized clumps begin to form.
• Slowly drizzle a 1/2 cup of water into the feed tube, pulsing all the while. Do this until the pie crust starts to come together. You should be able to easily pinch it into a clump. If the dough does not come together after adding a 1/2 cup of water, splash in up to 3 tablespoons more.
• Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and cut the dough ball in half using a knife or a pastry cutter. Form into two flattened round disks, wrap in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator until chilled through, at least 2 hours.

PERFECT PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Place flour, salt, butter and shortening in bowl.
• Use your hands to combine ingredients until small pebbles form
• Add cold water a teaspoon at a time until the dough begins to hold together and form a ball.
• Do not over handle the dough. Dough should be soft, moist but not wet.
• Divide dough in half.
• Place ball of dough onto wax paper and flatten. Place another piece of wax paper over the top and roll out the pastry into a circle. If your pie pan is 9 inch make sure your circle is bigger than 9 inches so you have enough for the edging..
• Remove the top layer of wax paper and place pastry into pie tin. Remove other piece of wax paper and press pastry into pan. Use your fingers to crimp the edge of the crust.
• Freeze for 30 minutes to firm up the pastry. This helps prevent pastry from shrinking during baking.
• Prick the bottom of crust to prevent bubbling during baking.
• If pie calls for a baked crust bake at 400 degrees. For the first 10-12 minutes keep the edges of pie covered with foil and then remove for the last 15 minutes. Bake until golden brown.
• Recipe makes two 9" pie crusts

PIE CRUST - TENDER & FLAKY

Steps:

• 1. In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, salt and sugar.
• 2. Add the shortening and break it up with your hands as you start to coat it all up with the flour. Add the cold butter cubes and work it into the flour with your hands or a pastry cutter. Work it quickly, so the butter doesn't get too soft, until the mixture is crumbly, like very coarse cornmeal. Add the ice water, a little at a time, until the mixture comes together forming a dough. Bring the dough together into a ball.
• 3. When it comes together stop working it otherwise the dough will get over-worked and tough. Divide the dough in half and flatten it slightly to form a disk shape. Wrap each disk in plastic and chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. On a floured surface roll each disk out into a 10 to 11-inch circle to make a 9-inch pie.
• 4. Note: Food processor method - which is what I use : I place the flour, salt, and sugar in processor bowl. Pulse to blend. I then add the shortening, pulse about 6 times. Add the cold butter, pulse 10 - 12 times, then add the water, pulse till all starts to come together and will hold together ...I never have to chill it. The above directions are what were on the back of the box of flour..My way is so much easier, if you have a food processor, I would suggest that method.

TENDER AND TASTY PIE PASTRY

Steps:

• Combine dry ingredients in a chilled large stainless steel bowl. Cut in butter with pastry blender or 2 knives and incorporate the fat thoroughly into the flour to resemble a consistency of coarse meal. Add shortening, sour cream and lemon juice, mix well and refrigerate for at least 1 hour
• Grease and flour a 9-inch pie pan. Remove dough from refrigerator, divide mixture into 2 disks. Keep 1 disk in the refrigerator until ready for top crust. Roll dough out on a floured surface between waxed paper. Carefully transfer the bottom crust to the pie pan and trim the overhanging excess. Chill for 15 minutes to help set dough in the pan. Brush bottom with egg yolk to seal. Fill with your favorite fruit filling. Roll out remaining disk as you did for the bottom crust. Cover the pie with remaining dough. Seal and crimp the edge. Cut vents in the top crust.
• Bake in the bottom half of a preheated 400 degree oven for 30 minutes. Cool thoroughly before cutting.
• *Variation: Substitute vegetable oil for shortening for a pat in the pan crust.

TENDER PIE DOUGH

Steps:

• Beat the butter in the bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment at high speed until the butter is smooth, about two minutes. With the mixer running, slowly dribble in the milk, occasionally stopping the mixer and scraping down the sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula. The butter mixture should be fluffy, smooth, and shiny, like a butter cream frosting.
• Mix the flour, sugar, and salt together in a small bowl. With the mixer speed on low, gradually add the flour mixture and incorporate just until the dough forms a mass on the paddle and the sides of the bowl are clean. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead a few times until it is smooth and supple. Divide the dough in half. Shape each portion into a disk, about one-inch thick. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap.
• Refrigerate until chilled but not hard, 30 minutes to an hour. (The dough can be refrigerated up to one day, but it will be very hard, and should stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes before rolling out. The dough can also be frozen, double wrapped in plastic, for up to two weeks. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight.

TENDERFLAKE RECIPE FOR PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Whisk together flour and salt.
• Cut in Tenderflake with pastry blender or 2 knives until the lard is pea sized within the flour.
• In a 1 cup measure combine the vinegar and egg. Add the ice water to make 1 cup.
• Gradually stir liquid into Tenderflake mixture, adding only enough liquid to make dough cling together.
• Gently gather the dough into a ball and divide into 6 equal portions.
• Wrap the portions and refrigerate for 15-30 minutes (if you are using right away) or freeze for future use.
• When you are ready to use and the dough has chilled for at least another 15 minutes, roll out each portion on a lightly floured surface. If the dough is sticking, chill again for another hour or two. The dough must be cold to be flaky!
• Transfer the prepared dough to pie plate.
• Trim and flute shells or crusts and bake according to your pie recipe. Yield: 3 9-inch double crust pies or 6 pie shells.

TENDERFLAKE® PIE PASTRY WITH VARIATIONS

Steps:

• Whisk flour and salt; cut in ice cold fat until it is pea sized or looks like slow cooking raw oats
• In a 1 cup liquid measure, combine vinegar and egg; add ice water to make 1 cup
• Gradually pour liquid around the edges of the mixture, mixing by hand, adding only enough for dough to cling together
• Form gently into a ball; divide into 6 equal portions on counter
• Wrap and label portions
• Refrigerate for 15-30 minutes if you are using right away, or
• Freeze for future use by placing wrapped pastry dough in container, tightly sealed
• When ready to use, roll out each portion on lightly floured surface; If pastry dough is sticking, chill for another hour or two
• Transfer rolled pastry dough to pie plate
• Trim and flute shells or crusts and bake according to your pie recipe

OUR FAVORITE PIE CRUST RECIPE-HOW TO MAKE A TENDER PIE CRUST

Steps:

• For a flaky, tender crust (as opposed to one that's harder, mealy, and more cookie-like), the following works well.
• Whisk together all of the dry ingredients, reserving a few tablespoons of the flour.
• Cut in half of the fat, working the mixture until it's mealy and crumbly.
• Place the reserved flour on your work surface, and coat the remaining fat with the flour.
• Use a rolling pin or the heel of your hand to flatten the fat till it's about 1/2-inch thick.
• Break this flour-coated fat into 1-inch pieces, and mix it into the dough, just till it's evenly distributed; some of the pieces of flour-coated fat should break into smaller pieces.
• Sprinkle the liquid(s) over the dough while tossing with a fork.
• Just as soon as the dough becomes cohesive (i.e., you can squeeze it into a ball easily), stop mixing; there should still be visible pieces of fat in the dough.
• Flatten the dough into a disk and wrap it in plastic wrap or waxed paper.
• Refrigerate for 30 minutes or longer; this resting period allows the flour to absorb the water, making the dough easier to roll out.
• Flour your work surface and roll the dough into a 12 x 9-inch (approximately) rectangle.
• (If it isn't holding together well, sprinkle it lightly with a couple of teaspoons of water.
• Fold the dough into thirds (like a letter), then fold it into thirds the opposite way, to form a rough square. Wrap it well and refrigerate again.).
• When you're "ready to roll," remove the dough from the fridge.
• If the dough is made with all lard and/or vegetable shortening, you'll be able to work with it directly from the refrigerator.
• A dough made with all butter will need to warm slightly (10 to 15 minutes) before rolling, as butter becomes brittle when it's refrigerated.
• Dough made with a combination of butter and shortening should rest for about 5 minutes at room temperature before rolling.
• Roll the dough to the size needed (about 13 inches for a 9-inch pie).
• Fill and bake as directed in your recipe.
• Note: in this particular recipe, cut all of the lard or vegetable shortening into the flour, then coat the butter with flour before adding it to the dough.

TENDER PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Blend flour, sugar, and salt in processor. Add butter; using on/off turns, process until coarse meal forms. Add 8 tablespoons ice water and cider vinegar; blend until moist clumps form, adding more ice water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather dough together. Turn dough out onto work surface; divide dough in half. Form each half into ball and flatten into disk. Wrap disks separately in plastic; refrigerate at least 1 hour. (Can be made ahead. Keep dough refrigerated up to 2 days, or enclose in resealable plastic bag and freeze up to 1 month, then thaw in refrigerator overnight. Soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out.)