2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
1/2 cup vegetable shortening (they said it should be cold, but I didn't bother chilling mine)
1/4 cup cold Vodka
1/4 cup cold water
In the bowl of a
food processor, pulse 1 1/2 cups four, salt, and sugar until combined.
Add the butter & shortening and process until clumps that look like
cottage cheese start to form, about 15 seconds. Add remaining flour
and pulse 4-6 times, or until mixture has been broken up.
Place mixture into another bowl and add the Vodka and water. With
a rubber spatula mix by folding the liquid into the dough, pressing
down as you go until dough sticks together. Divide into 2 even disks,
and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 45 minutes before
using - this is important because this is a pretty wet dough and
you will have a hard time rolling it out if you don't refrigerate it
first. Dough can also be frozen for later use. Makes one 9" double pie crust.
Apple Pie in a Paper Bag (adapted from King Arthur recipe)
About 10 cups apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
2 tbsp lemon juice
2-3 tbsp flour
Preheat oven to 425. Spray pie plate with cooking spray - you are probably thinking you can skip this because you don't normally do this, but I am warning you that it is necessary (something about that steam makes the crust stick to the pie plate if it's not greased). Line the pie plate with the pie dough, fold seams under and either pinch it all around or use a fork to crimp it. Put sliced apples in microwave safe bowl and stir in the brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg and lemon juice. Microwave uncovered for 5 minutes. Spoon apples into pie plate, leaving the juices at the bottom. Add flour to bowl and whisk together with the juices left from the apples. Pour this over the apples.Topping: In bowl of food processor, add 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup cold butter cut into pieces. Pulse until mix is crumbly. Spread topping over the apple filling.
Place pie into paper grocery bag. Fold it close and staple it shut all along the fold (can also use paper clips). Bake at 425 for one hour, then shut the oven off and let the pie set in there with the door shut for another 10 minutes. Remove pie from oven and carefully open it. Take pie out of bag and set on rack to cool completely before slicing (unless you like it warm and you don't care if it falls apart on you).
THE Best Coconut Cream Pie
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
2 eggs
3/4 cup white sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup toasted shredded coconut (bake on cookie sheet at 350 for 5-7 min.)
1 tsp vanilla
1 (9 inch) pie dough, baked
1 cup frozen Cool Whip, thawed
In medium saucepan, combine 1/2 & 1/2, coconut milk, eggs, sugar, cornstarch and salt. Bring to boil over medium-low heat stirring constantly. Once it has thickened, remove from heat and stir in 3/4 cup of toasted coconut and the vanilla. Pour into pie shell and chill in refrigerator until firm, about 2-3 hours. Top with Cool Whip and sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of toasted coconut on top (of course you can make homemade whip cream instead if you like).
Pineapple Pie
1 (20 oz) can + 2 (8 oz) cans crushed pineapple, unsweetened
3/4 cup sugar
3 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
1/8 tsp salt
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp lemon juice1 tsp lemon zest
Pastry for 9-inch double-crust pie
Combine crushed pineapple, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened and clear. Add butter, lemon juice and zest. Set aside to cool slightly.
Pour filling into unbaked 9-inch pastry shell. For top crust, cut into strips for a lattice topping. Brush top with cream (or can use milk or 1/2 & 1/2) and sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 400 for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown.
Blueberry Pie (by Stonewall Kitchen)
1 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
6 cups blueberries
11/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp grated lemon zest
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Pinch of salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
Melt butter in medium saucepan on medium heat. Add flour and stir to combine, about 1 minute. Add half the blueberries and all the sugar and cook 8-10 minutes. The sugar will be dissolved and the mixture has thickened. Add the remaining blueberries and the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine. Raise the heat to medium-high and cook for another minute, then remove from heat. Let the filling cool to room temp.
Roll out one of the disks of dough and transfer to a 9-inch pie plate, making sure the dough falls over the edges of the pie plate. Spoon blueberry mixture into the pie plate. Roll out the other disk of dough, and cut into strips about 1/2 inch wide. Place strips on top of filling, creating a crisscross lattice pattern. Trim off excess crust and crimp the edges with together with a fork. Place pie in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.
Place pie on cookie sheet and brush top with cream or 1/2 & 1/2, then sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 375 for 50-60 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling.
3 cups strawberries, cut in half or quartered
2 1/2 - 3 cups rhubarb, chopped
3/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp minute tapioca
1 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
dash of cinnamon
dash of nutmeg
3 tbsp butter
1 recipe for 9 inch double crust (click here for recipe)
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp cream or 1/2 & 1/2
Turbinado sugar
Preheat oven to 400. In a large bowl toss the strawberries and rhubarb together with the sugar, tapioca and flour. Add the lemon juice, vanilla and a dash of cinnamon & nutmeg and stir to combine. Line your pie plate with the bottom layer of pie dough and pour in the filling. Break up the 3 tablespoons of butter and place evenly on top of the filling. Cover with the top crust and either crimp the edges all around with a fork or use your fingers. Cut 4 slits into the top crust to let the steam escape.
In a small bowl add the egg yolk and cream and stir to combine. With a pastry brush spread the egg mixture evenly over the top crust. Sprinkle the Turbinado sugar all over the top. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown. Make sure to let pie cool completely before cutting in to it.
Peach Pie (Cook's Illustrated)1 recipe for double crusted pie dough (click here for recipe)
7 medium ripe peaches
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 cup sugar, + 1 tbsp
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp salt
3 tbsp minute tapioca
Preheat oven to 500, and bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add all the peaches & boil for 2 minutes, then remove them and immediately plunge them into a large bowl filled with ice water. Roll out your bottom crust and place it in a shallow pie dish (you don't want to use a deep dish pie plate for this pie). Peel the peaches, using a pairing knife, then cut them into about 3/8" slices.
Place the sliced peaches into a large bowl and add the tapioca, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Toss to combine, then pour mixture into your dough lined pie plate. Roll out your top dough and cut into strips to make a lattice topping, and add it to the top of the pie. Lightly brush or spray the lattice topping with water and sprinkle with sugar.
Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil sprayed with cooking spray, then place your pie on the tray. Lower oven temperature to 425 and place pie in oven and cook for about 25-30 minutes, or until crust begins to brown. Rotate the pie and reduce the oven temperature to 375 and continue baking for another 25-30 minute longer, or until crust is a deep golden brown and the juices are bubbling. Remove from oven and cool for 2 hours before serving.
Dough for 1 9" pie crust
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
2 tbsp water
8 oz semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled (original recipe called for bittersweet)
1 tbsp vanilla
8 tbsp unsalted butter, softened & cut into 8 pieces
Fresh whipped cream for serving
For the crust: Line a 9" pie plate with the dough, and crimp the edges. Cover with plastic wrap and place in freezer for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375, and line the chilled pie shell with parchment paper, letting it hang over the edges. Fill the pie plate with pie weights, the place in oven and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the pie weights and parchment paper and return to oven to bake for another 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool completely before filling (sometimes I will even cook it the day before I want to make the entire pie).
For the filling: Add the cream to the bowl of an electric mixer and whip on medium speed until it forms stiff peaks. Transfer to another bowl, cover and refrigerate.
Combine the sugar, eggs and water in the bowl of a double boiler (or you can place a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, making sure the water doesn't touch the bowl). With a hand mixer on medium, beat until the egg mixture is thickened and reads 160 F - the original recipe said it would take 7-10 minutes but it was more like 20 for me and it only got to 150 F on my thermometer and it still came out perfect. Remove bowl from heat and continue beating until the mixture is fluffy and cooled to room temp, about 8 minutes.
Add the melted chocolate and the vanilla to the egg mixture and beat until combined. Add the butter 1 tbsp at a time until fully incorporated. Fold in the whipped cream gently until no white streaks remain. Transfer to the baked pie shell, cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Serve with whipped cream.
Alternate Go-To Pie Crust (Fine Cooking Magazine)
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
8 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/4 cup cold vegetable shortening, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp very cold water
Place flour, sugar and salt in large bowl. Cut in the butter and shortening with a pastry blender just until coarse crumbs for (you can also do this in a food processor). Add the lemon juice and water and stir with a fork until combined just enough to hold together when pressed with your hands. Turn out onto counter and gently shape into 2 equal disks. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before using. This makes one 9-inch double-crust pie dough.
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
8 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/4 cup cold vegetable shortening, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp very cold water
Place flour, sugar and salt in large bowl. Cut in the butter and shortening with a pastry blender just until coarse crumbs for (you can also do this in a food processor). Add the lemon juice and water and stir with a fork until combined just enough to hold together when pressed with your hands. Turn out onto counter and gently shape into 2 equal disks. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before using. This makes one 9-inch double-crust pie dough.
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