Basicpiecrusti Recipes

Steps:

• In a food processor, briefly pulse flour, salt, and sugar. Add butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons ice water. Pulse until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed (if necessary, add up to 2 tablespoons water, 1 tablespoon at a time). Dont overmix.
• Turn dough out onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Fold plastic over dough; press to shape into a 1-inch-thick disk. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour (or up to 3 days).
• On a floured piece of parchment paper, roll dough to a 14-inch round with a floured rolling pin. Wrap dough around rolling pin, discarding paper; unroll over a 9-inch pie plate (opposite). Gently fit into bottom and up sides of plate (do not stretch dough).
• Using kitchen shears, trim dough to a 1-inch overhang. Fold under itself to form a rim, and press to seal. Using thumb and forefinger, crimp rim of crust. Refrigerate until ready to use, up to 1 day.

Steps:

• Whisk the flour and salt together in a medium size bowl. With a pastry blender, cut in the cold shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Drizzle 2 to 3 tablespoons ice water over flour. Toss mixture with a fork to moisten, adding more water a few drops at a time until the dough comes together.
• Gently gather dough particles together into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for at least 30 minutes before rolling.
• Roll out dough, and put in a pie plate. Fill with desired filling and bake.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Place all ingredients in 9 inch pie pan. Stir together with fork. Pat mixture into bottom and up the sides of the pan. Poke holes in bottom and side of crust.
• Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until light brown. Use as directed in favorite pie recipe.

Steps:

• Process the flour and salt in a food processor for 20 seconds.
• Distribute the butter evenly over the flour and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, 15-20 seconds.
• With the food processor running, pour the ice water in a steady stream through the feed tube and process just until the dough comes together.
• Knead the dough for several turns on a lightly floured surface to bring it together.
• Shape the dough into a thick disks (or 2 for a double crust), wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least an hour.
• To roll out the dough, place the chilled dough between 2 pieces of waxed paper (helps tremendously in rolling out!) and roll it out to a circle 2 inches bigger than the size of the pie pan.
• Fit the dough into a 9-inch (greased) pie plate and trim the edges.
• Keep the crust in the refrigerator until ready to fill.
• If prebaking the crust, refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes or stick in the freezer before baking (I always freeze it).

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the flour and salt; cut in shortening until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle with vinegar. Gradually add the milk, tossing with a fork until a ball is formed. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until easy to handle. , For a single crust, roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface to fit a 9-in. or 10-in. pie plate. Transfer pastry to pie plate. Trim pastry 1/2 in. beyond edge of plate; flute edges. Fill or bake shell according to recipe directions., For a double crust, divide pastry in two portions so that one ball is slightly larger than the other. Roll out larger ball on a lightly floured surface to fit a 9-in. or 10-in. pie plate. Transfer pastry to pie plate. Trim pastry even with edge of plate. Add filling. Roll out remaining pastry to fit top of pie; place over filling. Trim, seal and flute edges. Cut slits in top. Bake according to recipe directions.

Steps:

• Combine flour, sugar and salt in processor. Using on/off turns, cut in shortening and butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Beat egg and 3 tablespoons water in small bowl to blend. Add to flour mixture. Process until moist clumps form, adding more water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather into ball. Divide in half. Flatten each half into disk. Wrap in plastic; chill 1 hour. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled. Let dough soften slightly at room temperature before rolling.)

Steps:

• 1. Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and mix together with your fingertips or a pastry cutter until the mixture is very coarse - the size of peas. Then add the shortening, and continue blending with fingertips. The mixture should still be very coarse.
• 2. Add 4 tablespoons of the water and toss the mixture together. If the dough does not hold together when gathered in your hand, add a bit more water. Do not overwork the dough. Divide the dough in half and form it into thick disks. Wrap each disk in plastic and chill for at least 1 hour or overnight.
• 3. Remove one disk of dough from the refrigerator. Unwrap it and roll it out on a lightly floured work surface or between two sheets of wax paper to form a circle about 1/8-inch thick and 2 inches larger than the pie plate. Work quickly, as the dough can become sticky. Use a spatula to help lift the dough, and fold it loosely in half and into quarters. Gently transfer it to the pie plate, centering the corner of the dough in the center of the pie plate. Open up the dough and press it lightly into the plate to fit. If the dough should tear, just press it gently together. Trim the dough, leaving a 1-inch overhang. If making a single-crust pie, turn the edge under and flute it decoratively.
• 4. Repeat the rolling process for a top crust or for another bottom crust. The circle of a top crust should be 9 inches for an 8-inch pie and 10 inches for a 9-inch pie.
• 5. Follow the individual pie recipes for filling and baking.

Steps:

• Cut shortening into flour/salt until it looks like peas.
• Add very cold water all at once and quickly toss with a fork; shape into a ball being careful not to over knead.
• Divide dough in half and roll thin.
• This makes two single piecrusts or one double crust pie.
• TIPS AND TRICKS:.
• To avoid a soggy crust, try brushing the bottom of the crust with egg white before adding fruit; filling the shell *just* before baking also helps prevent sogginess; sogginess can also be caused from the oven temperature being too low or the time too short.
• For a flakier upper crust, brush lightly with cold water before popping in the oven; also keep ingredients and dough cold until baked.
• To prevent the crust from shrinking, avoid stretching the dough as you roll it and avoid stretching it when placed in the pie plate; allowing the pie shell to rest about 30 minutes before baking will also help prevent shrinking.
• Never shake the flour while placing in the measuring cup; instead, level it with the back of a knife.
• Toss ingredients with a fork, lightly and quickly, rather than stirring.
• Don't use too much water; about 1/2 c of iced water to 2 cups of flour.
• To prevent burning of the crust, try baking the pie in a large paper bag stapled closed, being sure that it doesn't touch any part of the oven; or use an oven- roasting bag.
• Try rolling some grated cheese into the dough when making an apple pie.
• Try adding toasted slivered almonds to piecrust that you intend to fill with a cream filling or cherry filling.