Perfect Pie

By Homeskills101

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cups flour (approximately 7 ounces)
• 2/3 cups fat (approximately 5 ounces) (I use 1/3 cup lard and 1/3 cup margarine)
• 1/4 cup water (2 ounces).
• 1/2 tsp salt.
• 5 cups cut up tart apples (I like to use Granny Smith)
• 1/2 to 1 cup sugar (depending on how tart the apples are)
• 4 tsp butter (cut into small chunks
• 2 Tbs instant tapioca
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Details

Adapted from homeskills101.com

Preparation

Step 1

“Baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and Chevrolet”. Okay dating myself a bit here, but the 1970′s Chevy commercial says it all. Is there anything more American than pie, especially apple pie? I don’t think so. I would rather have pie than almost any other desert. Apple, cherry, blueberry, chocolate cream, pecan, the list goes on and on and on.

Piece of Apple Pie

But for as long as the pie has been around, cooks are still afraid of it. Pie for some reason is intimidating despite the saying “easy as pie.” Maybe it’s those gorgeous pictures of the perfect pie. So high, so light and flaky.

Pie Crust Ingredients

Pie crust is basically 4 ingredients. Flour, fat, liquid, and salt. The basic piecrust is made in a 3/2/1 ratio. 3 parts flour, 2 parts fat, 1 part liquid – with a dash of salt added for flavor. When I first read this I checked my recipe and it wasn’t in that ratio but then I read further that it was by weight of the ingredients.

Pie Crust Equipment

You need a bowl, a fork (or pastry cutter), measuring spoons and cups, a rolling pin, and a pie plate.

Pastry Dough

1-1/2 cups flour (approximately 7 ounces)
2/3 cups fat (approximately 5 ounces) (I use 1/3 cup lard and 1/3 cup margarine)
1/4 cup water (2 ounces).
1/2 tsp salt.

Flour: Pastry flour is lower in protein than all-purpose flour. It is used to make delicate things like pastries lighter and fluffier. Give it a try if you would like and compare. However, I have always used all purpose flour and things turn out just wonderfully.

Fat:The key to flaky crust is the fat. You need to coat the fat with flour and not blend it completely in. It is the little balls of fat that make the flakiness.

Crusts made with all butter are very flavorful, though they are generally not quite as flaky as crusts made with shortening or lard.
Vegetable shortening pie doughs are easier to work with and hold their shape better than all-butter crusts, but the flavor won’t be as rich.
Lard produces the flakiest crust, but have very little flavor.
Oil can also be used but the crust is more crisp and not so flaky.

Liquid: Generally water but I have seen recipes with eggs and even vinegar. I use water. Make sure your water is very cold so as not to warm up the fat as you mix it.

Salt. Salt is used to enhance the flavors.

Place flour and salt in a medium sized bowl. The butter and lard need to be very cold when you start. Cut into small chunks and add to your flour and salt. Cut lard and butter into the flour and salt. If you have a food processor you can use that; however, don’t mix too long. Just pulse it until it looks crumbly. If you do it by hand you can use a pastry cutter (which I don’t have at the moment). I just used a fork.

Pie Dough Cut in Butter

Just mix until it is all crumbly.

Pie Crust Mix by Hand

Now add the water a little at a time. Mix with the fork until it starts trying to form a ball. Then I use my hands to finish mixing it. Don’t over mix.

Pie Crust in Balls

Separate the dough into 2 parts. Kind of flatten and place back in the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for half an hour. This hardens back up the fat and makes crusts flakier. . Also gives the flour time to absorb the liquid and form gluten. You can skip this step if you are in a hurry.

If at this point you want to, you could tightly wrap each half in plastic wrap and tinfoil or a Ziplock bag and place in the freezer. Just thaw later for a quick pie.

Roll out Pie Dough

Remove from the fridge. Place some flour on your counter. Begin by rolling from the center out. Lift and turn the dough often to keep it from sticking. Toss a little more flour under it if you need to.

Pink Cracks in Dough

You may need to keep repairing the edges if they begin to have cracks. Just push together with your fingers.

Pie Crust Size

Keep turning and rolling until it’s a little bigger than your pie pan.

pie Dough Folded

Now gently fold the dough in half and then in half again.

Pie Crust in Pan

Lift and place in your pie pan. Unfold and press gently into the pan.

Trim Pie Crust

Trim the edges to within an inch of the edge of the pie pan. If you are making a 1 crust pie fold under the dough and crimp the edges (see below). If you are making a 2 crust pie skip these steps and trim and crimp both layers of crust together as below.

Pie Crust with Beans

If you are baking an empty pie shell for cream pies prick the bottom a few times with a fork, place a piece of tinfoil in the crust and fill with dry beans. This keep it from bubbling up and forming big air pockets. Bake at 375 for 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool and fill with filling.

Top Crust of Pie

If you are making a double crusted pie. Roll out the next piece of dough. Making it again a couple inches bigger than your pie pan. Fill the bottom crust with the filling. Fold the dough in half and in half again and place over the filling.

Fold Over Pie Dough

Unfold it carefully. Now trim both layers of dough to within 1 inch or so of the edge. Fold the edges under so they are even with the edge of your pie pan.

Now it is time to crimp the edges. I have seen people just run a fork around the edges and it looks pretty but this is how I learned to do it.

Crimping Pie Crust 1

Reach your left index finger and place it on the edge of the pie. Now take your right hand finger and thumb and pinch the dough just to the right of your index finger.

Crimping Pie Crust

Now move your left index finger just to the right of that pinched piece of dough. Pinch the dough again to the right of your finger. Keep moving around the pie until it is all crimped and pretty.

Pie Crust prick with Fork

Prick the top of the pie with a fork a few times. Brush the top of the dough with milk. And sprinkle with sugar. This makes the crust brown up and looks so shiny and pretty.

Pie in Oven

Bake as instructed for the variety of pie you are making. Place a piece of tinfoil under the pie to catch any spills.

Apple Pie Ingredients

Apple Pie Filling

5 cups cut up tart apples (I like to use Granny Smith)
1/2 to 1 cup sugar (depending on how tart the apples are)
4 tsp butter (cut into small chunks
2 Tbs instant tapioca
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Peel Apples

Peal the apples and cut into chunks.

Apple Pie Filling

Toss all ingredients together and place in bottom shell. Top with pie dough as above. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.

Pie Baked

Isn’t that pretty?

Pie Crust Cookies

Here is a bonus recipe. When you trim the edges of the pie there are little pieces of dough left. I take them mush them together and roll them out again. Cut into pieces. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.

Pie Crust Cookies

Bake at 375 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes until lightly browned.

Pie Crust Cookies Baked

Oh man. So delicious. I like them so much I would make a whole pie dough recipe just for these treats. You could even cut them out with different shapes of cookie cutters.

Pie Crust Flaky

Here is a view of the pie crust cookie from the inside. See how light and flaky the crust is. Makes you want it warm with a big tall glass of milk doesn’t it?

Good luck with your next pie making adventure