Easy as Pie

Part of my original purpose for creating this blog was to have a place where I could write and record my favorite recipes. Instead of having magazines, recipe cards, recipe books, and boxes, I wanted to be able to keep all of my recipes in one place, that I could access at any time (which, actually, has turned out to be quite helpful).
I also wanted a resource, as I have mentioned in the past, where people could find simple recipes for everyday items.
An extremely common household recipe that people seem to need is pie crust. I find it interesting that most recipes call for ready made pie crusts, and many people I know do not like their own pie crust recipe. I started making my own crust as a teenager, and the recipe I found that worked for me had egg and vinegar. I had tried my mom's shortening crust and it was just horrendous for me. It worked great for her, but when I tried it, it was a dry lump of dough that I couldn't get to do what I wanted.
After a bit I lost my pie crust recipe. I searched high and low and couldn't find the same recipe. I tried to recreate it from memory, but it ended up quite vinegar-y tasting. I tried my mom's again, and I tried to experiment with some other crusts. I wasn't happy with mine for about a year and a half.

I received a copy of Bon Appetit's cookbook for Christmas one year. It had a pie crust recipe that was made entirely out of butter, so I decided to give it a try. It came together in the food processor, and worked like a charm. I really, really loved the texture. If you didn't know this, shortening makes crusts short, like shortbread cookies. They crumble in your mouth. Butter makes pie crust flaky, because the pockets of butter in the crust melt while its baking and the resulting steam creates little air pockets. Anyway, I really love it. I've won a couple of bake-offs with it, too!

Just a little side note, if you have a hard time with crust, try empanada dough, also called cream cheese dough. It is less finicky than butter, and seems to work like a breeze. The texture is a bit different but its still great, and its great to start with. So, I have included both, here:

Easy Cream Cheese Pie Dough

(from the Art and Soul of Baking)

1 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon sugar (omit for savory crust)

Pinch of salt

1 stick cold butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 package cold cream cheese, cut into 9 pieces

Place flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of the food processor and process for 10 seconds. Add the cold butter pieces and process for 8 to 10 seconds, until the mixture looks like bread crumbs. Add the cream cheese and pulse 30 times (1-second pulses) or until large, shaggy clumps of dough form.

Turn the shaggy mass out onto a work surface and knead gently 2 or 3 times to create a cohesive dough. Flatten into a disk, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes, or until you are ready to use it.

Butter Pie Crust Dough

(from Bon Appetit)

2 1/4 cups flour

1 Tablespoon sugar (omit for savory crust)

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) chilled butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

6 Tablespoons (or more)  ice water

Blend flour, sugar, and salt in processor. Add butter, using on/off turns, cut in until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 6 Tablespoons water. Using on/off turns, blend just until moist clumps form, adding more water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather dough into ball; divide dough in half. Flatten each piece into disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate 1 hour, or up to 2 days.

Pie Crust (from Amish Cooking pg. 182 - This is, by the way, the BEST pie crust recipe you'll ever find anywhere)
3 c. sifted all-purpose flour
1 c. shortening
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg, slightly beaten
5 tbsp. ice water
1 tsp. vinegar
Mix flour and salt. Using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut in shortening. Combine egg, water and vinegar. Stir egg mixture into flour mixture until a soft dough forms. (If necessary add more ice water 1/2 tsp. at a time). Divide dough into two or three equal portions.

Pie Crust (adapted from pg. 182, Amish Cooking by Pathway Publishers)
Yield: 2 single crust pies OR 1 double crust pie
2 c. all purpose flour
1 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. vegetable shortening
1 egg
5 Tbls. ice cold water
1 tsp. white vinegar

Sift the flours, spices and salt into a medium sized bowl. Cut the shortening into the flour mixture until mixture forms course crumbs. Beat the egg; add the water and vinegar. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture. Stir with a fork until a soft dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a floured pastry cloth. Gently kneed the dough, 3-4 times (DO NOT knead the dough excessively). Divide the dough in half. Form the halves into disks and roll out, using a cloth covered rolling pin