Conference turris::cooks

    I found this recipe for Foolproof Piecrust in a Women's Day
    Magazine several years ago and have been using it ever since.
    It is exactly as the name says...foolproof.  You can reroll
    it and it still comes out perfect.
    
    		FOOLPROOF PIECRUST
    
    4 cups all-purpose flour
    1 Tbsp. sugar
    2 Tsp. salt
    1 3/4 cup shortening
    1/2 cup water
    1 Tbsp. white cider vinegar
    1 large egg
    
    In a large bowl, stir together with fork the flour, salt and
    sugar; cut in shortening with fork until crumbly.  In small
    bowl, beat together water, vinegar and egg.  Add to flour
    mixture and stir until all ingredients are moistened.
    
    Divide dough into five portions and shape into a flat, round
    patty, ready for rolling.  Wrap each patty with waxed paper
    and chill for at least 1/2 hour.*
    
    Lightly flour both sides of patty and roll out between two
    sheets of lightly floured waxed paper.  Roll 2 inches larger
    than pan.  Place in pie pan, flute edge, fill and bake as
    directed in pie recipe.
    
    For baked shells:  Prick all sides and bake at 450 degrees
    for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.
    
    * The patties can be frozen at this point for up to a month.
    When ready to use, thaw out thoroughly and then roll out as
    noted before.
    

    My method for making good piecrust is to use the food processor.
    Julia Child said that the secret to making good pastry is keeping
    your hot little hands off of the dough, and that's what this
    accomplishes.
    
    I also use margarine, not Crisco or lard.
    
    Take any recipe for pie dough, and mix the dry ingredients in the
    bowl of the food processor. 
    
    (Use the steel blade).  Add the margarine and combine until the
    mixture is crumbly.  Leave the blade running and pour the ice water
    , a little at a time, down the chute.  
    
    The dough will become a ball almost immediately.  Chill and roll
    as usual.  
    
    The ONLY problem I've had with this is not adding enough water to
    the dough.  The pastry then cracks when I roll it and refuses to
    be lifted into the pan without breaking.  It's very tasty and flaky
    when baked, though.  
    
    Peigi

    Really REALLY easy piecrust that is VERY flaky.
    
    For 1 crust:
    
    Measure out 1 cup of all purpose flour and dump into a medium size
    bowl.
    
    Take 1 stick of butter or margarine (should be firm and cold) and
    cut this into the butter until the lumps are like peas.
    
    Add one tablespoon cold water to the mixture and mix for about 25
    strokes - the longer you mix the better.  Add one tablespoon of
    cold water again and mix for a long time.  When the dough comes
    off the sides of the bowl - it's ready.  Depending on the humidity
    in the air, you will use either 2 or 3 tablespoons of water.
    
    Knead the dough for a couple of minutes and it's ready.  It comes
    out very flaky and you don't need to add salt because it's in the
    butter/margarine.
    
    Lori

    I'm new to this notesfile, and I've really been enjoying reading
    all the recipes (and sharing them with my non-DEC friends!). 
    One of my favorite things to do is cook.  I especially love to 
    experiment with recipes and try to improve them.  A few years ago
    I went through a time of experimenting with pie-crust recipes,
    and I discovered a recipe I call my "quick-and-easy-no-fail"
    pie crust recipe.  Since the holiday season is fast upon us, and
    we will all be making pies soon (if we aren't already) I thought
    I'd share my recipe with you all.  It's easy to assemble (takes
    about 5 min. start to finish), doesn't make a big mess, and ALWAYS
    comes out flakey.  SO, for all of you who say "I can't make pie
    crusts", or for anyone interested in an easy, no-fail pie crust,
    here goes:
    
    Ingredients:
    -----------
    1 1/2 cups flour
    1/2 cup veg. oil
    3 tblspns *HOT* water
    pinch salt
    wax paper  
    
    Directions:
    ----------
    Put flour, oil, and salt in a bowl, but don't mix.  Lay two 14 inch
    sheets of wax paper on your pie crust rolling surface, overlapping them
    to make one 14"x14" square.  Cut another 14" strip of wax paper and
    set it aside.  Now, QUICKLY put 3 tablespoons *VERY HOT* water in
    the bowl, and mix pie crust dough together with a fork.  Form dough
    into ball with hands, put on wax paper square, and place the extra
    strip of wax paper on top.  Using your rolling pin, roll or "push"
    the dough out into the shape of a pie shell, moving the top layer
    of wax paper around to keep it always between the dough and your
    rolling pin.  The hot water will make the dough very pliable until
    it cools down, so work quickly to roll the dough out before it gets
    cold.  You can roll this dough out to make a VERY thin pie crust,
    if you like your crust thin (I do).
    
    After the dough is rolled out, just peel off the top layer of wax
    paper, tip the dough over into a pie tin, and peel off the second
    layer of wax paper.  Voila!  A pie shell in the pan, with no floury
    mess to clean up.   You can pinch, roll, and pierce your pie crust
    as usual.                                             
    
    Happy pie making!
    
                                                 Suellen
    

    I am looking for a pie crust recipe that is made with Crisco, water,
    and flour. The special thing about this recipe is that the Crisco
    and water are beaten together until well blended and then the flour
    is added. It can be handled and rehandled without affecting the
    texture of the crust. 
                           
    Please don't deluge me with all your favorite crust recipies, I
    already have 30 or 40 different ones, I am just looking for the
    one discribed above.
    
    Thanks
    +pat+
    

    There's a chance it might be in "The Butter Flavor Crisco Cookbook"
    ($4.50)
    
    The Butter Flavor Crisco Cookbook
    PO Box 2210
    Maple Plain, MN 55548

    
    
    I've been battling with pie crust for as long as I have been cooking,
    and it's only the last couple of years that I've been able to even
    approximate the light, flaky, pastry of classic pies. This is what 
    I've learned:
    
    Recipes matter less than technique.  You'll find recipes all over the
    place for pie pastry. Some tell you to use an egg, some vinegar _and_
    and egg, some just flour, water, salt and shortening of some sort. 
    It is important to keep all the ingredients very cold.  Use ice water
    and keep whatever shortening you use refrigerated until the last
    minute. Don't touch the dough with your fingers. Use a pastry blender
    to get the dough to resemble "coarse corn meal," as all the recipes
    say. (Some tell you--airily--to use two knives, but I've never managed
    to make anything more than a mess with two knives.)  Add only enough
    water to make a dough and don't fool around with it: As long as it
    sticks together, it's dough.  My monster-in-law, who makes fabulous
    pie crust, rolls hers out on a pastry cloth.  I don't have one and have
    found that rolling it out between waxed paper works as well.
    
    Like far too many things in life, good pie crust takes practice more
    than anything else.
    
    As far as crust for quiche goes, I just stopped making the crust.
    It gets soggy anyway and makes an extremely easy egg dish 
    tedious to make.  (I've found a French recipe called Rigodon with
    eggs, cream, chicken, bacon and scallions. It's really just crustless
    quiche...and just as good as the stuff with the crust.)
    
    Good luck
    
    Mike

    I strongly second the statements in 2287.1.  With the additional notes
    - while stirring in the ice water, I vigorously stir the mixture with a
    fork and dribble in the ice water gradually.  Then - and this is
    important - squash it down in a small bowl (NOT with warm fingers),
    cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 1 hour if not
    8 or 10, to let the water distribute evenly throughout.  I roll it on a
    lightly floured counter, gently lifting and turning a few times while
    sprinkling more flour under and over, to prevent sticking - but only
    JUST enough.  Then roll it up on the pin and unroll it into the pan.
    
    Most pie crust recipes are fine on the proportions.  I have gotten the
    best results using unbleached flour, fat composed of 1/2 margarine and
    1/2 Crisco-type stuff, and a squeeze of lemon juice in with the ice
    water.  
    
    When making fruit pie, sprinkle the bottom crust with corn starch to
    thicken the juices and prevent them from soaking the crust.
    
    Good luck!  Oh, and the scraps are delicious used for jelly turnovers. 
    Kids love them.  And so do I.  Don't mix scraps from the first crust in
    with the second.  You don't want to handle it too much - it gets tough.
     

    There is a quicky recipe for pie crust in any Betty Crocker cookbook,
    that uses vegetable oil rather than lard/Crisco.  It is easy and works
    quite well (and vegetable oil would be ok in terms of cholesterol).
    I have used this recipe in making quiche many times.
    
    The most useful hint I've found is to roll out crust between 2 pieces
    of wax paper. This eliminates the need for too much flour or
    constantly flouring the rolling pin. You then remove the top piece of
    wax paper, flip the crust over onto the pan, and peel off the other
    piece.
    
    Let me know if you want the quick recipe for pie crust, and I will look
    it up.
    
    Regards,
    

    I always make my "look ma no hands" version of pie crust in the food
    processor.  It comes out very flaky and is amazing to make -- at a
    point somewhere between 3 and 4 tablespoons of ice water, the entire
    contents of the bowl turns ZOOM into one ball of dough resting on 
    top of the blade.  
    
    Tips:  Use frozen shortening, chopped into small chunks.  I use a
    stick of margarine, chop it a bit with a paring knife, and put it in
    the processing bowl with the flour and salt.
    
    Turn on the motor and process the flour, salt, and shortening until
    blended together.  Then with the motor running, pour the ice water down
    the chute a bit at a time. 
    
    The first few times I did this, I used the minimum amount of water
    possible.  This made the dough too dry,and it cracked when I tried to
    roll it out.  Now I add water beyond the point at which it starts to
    form into the ball, but not a whole lot.
    
    Put the dough in the fridge for a while until ready to roll.  
    
    I roll the dough out using a pastry cloth and rolling-pin cover.  I had
    used waxed paper like my mom, but never had much success.  
    
    Now if I could only make fluted edges that look nice, I'd be all set!
    
    Re: soggy bottoms, I prebake the crust a bit for quiches. This keeps
    the dough from being sodden.  I preheat the oven to 450 and leave the 
    crust in for 7 minutes, until it starts to crisp but is still blonde. 
    ALWAYS ALWAYS prick the crust first or you'll end up with large
    bubbles.
    
    (Whoever said "easy as pie" was misleading.)
    
    Peigi

    Gale (.0), are you by any chance short?  All these replies address the
    technique for making the dough (and they're good - although I only use
    knives, and don't have a problem).  They don't address height at all! 
    I have found that my biggest problem is lack of stature.  Because I am
    short (5'), I don't have any leverage over the average countertop (and
    since I rent, lowering the counter is not an option!).  I have to stand
    on a low stool to get the proper leverage over the crust.  I still
    haven't perfected it, but I'm working on it!  If you are short, this
    might be a problem for you, too.
    
    
    Susan

Does anyone have any tips for making crust for a pie that you intend to freeze?
I'm making pies with leftover turkey and gravy and want to know if I should pre-
bake the bottom crust.

ann

I recommend brushing the bottom crust, unbaked, with egg white.  Allow this
to set for a few minutes and dry out a little before adding your filling.
It will help the soggy crust problem...won't completely solve it, perhaps,
but it will help.

    Hi,
    
    This is the only pie crust in the original Frug cookbook.  He is
    calling it Quiche Crust, but he says you can use for quiche or pies.
    
      2 cups flour
      2 teaspoons baking powder
        salt (optional)
    1/2 cup vegetable oil
    1/4 cup milk
    
    Mix the flour and the baking powder together.  Add salt if you wish.
    Mix the oil and milk together, and then pour into the flour.  Stir
    only until mixed.  The mixture will be rather coarse and granular,
    but it will roll out well.  Do not overmix.  Mold into two balls,
    and wrap with plastic.  Allow to sit for 15 minutes.
    
    Each ball will make one 9-inch piecrust.  If you are using a larger
    French quiche pan, then use a bit more of the dough.  Roll out between
    two sheets of wax paper.
    
    Place the pastry in the quiche pan or pie plate, and prick the bottom
    with a kitchen fork.  Line the inside with wax paper or aluminum
    foil.  Put two cups of dry beans into the piecrust, and bake at
    400F for 12 minutes.  Save the beans for the next piecrust session.
    The shell is now ready for filling and cooking.
    
    Makes 2 9-inch or 1 larger crust.
    
    Neece
    

I use the Frugal Gourmet Pie Crust all the time and really like it.  My only 
comment is that I add almost a 1/2 cup of milk instead of the 1/4 cup he has 
in the recipe.  I don't know if it is because I use skim milk but it doesn't
work right with only a 1/4 cup for me.

-- Nisha

I need a recipe for a sweet biscuit dough to use for a baked apple dish.

I want to make something similar to what Chestnuts in Nashua used
to serve.  They filled an onion soup bowl with apples, cinnamon, raisins,
etc.  They then put a layer of pie crust on the top and baked it.
The dish came out like an apple pie, but served in an individual
bowl with a small amount of crust.

I'd like to try the same thing, only using a thin layer sweet dough instead
of pie crust.

Any suggestions?

--Jennifer

    How about puff pastry or what would be used for cinnamon rolls?
    
    L
    

    This is my absolute most very favourite sweet biscuit pastry recipe..
    it is incredible and I use it for pumpkin pie but it would be just as
    great for apple:                              

    6 oz of plain flour
    2 oz of ground nuts (grind them fine but not to a meal) Brazil nuts
    work great
    2 oz of fine sugar
    4 oz of pure un-salted butter (cold)
    1 large egg
    a few drops of water or lemon juice but only if needed.

    Combine flour, nuts and sugar..  cut cold butter into flour mixture
    until it resembles meal.. add egg and mix to bind.. add a few drops of
    water if needed but only if needed..  you don't want to spoil the
    wonderfully short, crumbly results!

    Chill for 1 hr and then roll out carefully.. because this is a very
    crumbly short pastry it may break... don't worry just patch it as
    needed as it does not show in the finished product.. 

    gailann

    Has anyone made a meringue pie crust?  
    
    I remember a pie which had a meringue pie crust that had pecans in it.
    The filling was chocolate chip mint ice cream.
    
    Can you just whip up a batch of ordinary meringue and add pecans or
    would you have to do something special?
    
    I'm also looking for a meringue recipe to use for this.
    

    
    
    Rep .17
    
    
    I haven't made a meringue pie crust but I made meringue sheets
    for a cake. The recipe I used was the following and I don't see
    why you couldn't just use a pie plate.
    
    
    	4 egg whites at room temperature
    	pinch of cream of tartar
    	1 cup very finely ground nuts <I like hazelnuts>
    
    
    	Whip the egg whites to a thin froth and add the cream of
    	tartar and continue whipping to stiff peaks form. Slowly
    	fold in the nuts. I would butter/pam the pie plate and 
    	maybe even cut a round of waxed paper matching the bottom
    	of the plate. Then carefully fill the pie plate with the
        meringue. I normally use a pastry bag with a medium round
     	point to do this this. It's easier and gives a better 
    	finished product. You want the meringue to be about 3/8
    	to 1/2 inch thick. Bake at 300f for 25min and then turn off
    	the oven and open the door but leave the meringue to cool
        in the oven.
    
    	-mike
    

It sounds similar to the standard meringue crust that's included in
recipes for Chocolate Angel Pie, except they tend to use walnuts.
Though it tends to be a soft crust, so perhaps having to fill it with
ice cream would be disastrous!


--Sharon

    re:19
    
    Is the recipe for Chocolate Angel Pie in here someplace?
    
    If not, can you give me a general idea of what it is. Just the name
    sounds good to me.
    
    Thanks,
    NancyS

I believe I've seen the recipe posted in here.  I'll post the one that
I've used, though. 

--Sharon

    I've posted the Chocolate Angel Pie recipe in 723.13.  Enjoy!
    
    --Sharon
    

    Ok, so here I am driving down the road listening to a talk show with
    the author of "Have your Cake and Eat it Too" and she mentions a recipe
    that is NOT in the book, but will be in her NEXT book for the easiest
    sounding pie crust I ever heard of. I hope someone else heard this
    recipe and can help me remember the exact indegrediant amounts.
    
    Apparently you put into the pie pan itself:
    
    1 cup flour
    1/2 canola oil
    1 tablespoon sugar
    1 tablespoon of something else (The mind goes when you are manuvering
    in traffic)
    You mix it up in the pan and finger spread it out, she (the author)
    says its easy and low-fat. 
    
    Did anyone else at all hear this?? (No, I do not remember the date it
    aired, it was around Thanksgiving)
    
    Serenity

    ok while it's still fresh in your memory:
    
    "1/2 canola oil"
    
    1/2 cup?
    
    ed

    If it's 1/2 c canola oil, then it is by NO means low-fat.
    
    1 c flour = about 450 calories
    1/2 c oil = about 1200 calories
    
    total calories 1650, % calories from fat = ~70%
    per serving (based on 8 servings): ~200 calories, ~16 grams fat
    
    Yow!!
    
    Low in cholesterol and saturated fat, perhaps...
    
    BTW, I'm not giving you a hard time.  Truth is, I've been looking for
    ages for a low-fat pie crust, and alas, have come up with nothing.  I
    tried using pizza dough once for a quiche - didn't work too well...
    
    I make a *great* apple pie - I just can't handle that much fat.
    I also want to try low-fat cheesecake, but can't find a crust. (Crumb
    crusts all rely on, guess what, fat to hold them together.)
    
    D!

    
    
    D!,
    
    I have a couple that I use, the first crust is for a pumkin pie (from 
    IN HEALTH) Magazine.
    
    5 oz. Ginger Snaps (low fat - read the labels)
    1/4 c. non-fat cream cheese (I used Healthy Choice, GAG to eat plain
    				 though.
    1 egg white 
    
    I think it had 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1/2 tsp allspice.
    
    Put cookies in food processor til smooth, add the rest of the
    ingredients and process til blended.
    
    Spread in a 9" pie plate with your fingers (you need to keep your
    fingers wet or it's really sticky)  Bake at 400 for 8 minutes.
    
    The other I had good luck with is for a low-fat cheesecake, the
    cheesecake was gross.... but the crust was good.
    
    3/4  grapenuts (nuggets)
         apple juice concentrate  (not sure how much, but just enough to
    				   wet the grapenuts)
    	 dash of cinnamon  
    
    again bake at 400 for 8 minutes...
    
    If you find a low-fat recipe for Cheesecake, let me know....  I keep
    looking and I can't find one to even come close to the real McCoy!
    
    LO
      

    Hey THANKS!
    
    One comment...
    
    >1/4 c. non-fat cream cheese (I used Healthy Choice, GAG to eat plain
    >                                 though.
    
    Have you Philadelphia No-fat?  much better, IMHO.  (Alpine Lace,
    though, is disGUSting)
    
    Coupla questions...
    
    re: ginger snap crust:
    >    Spread in a 9" pie plate with your fingers (you need to keep your
    >    fingers wet or it's really sticky)  Bake at 400 for 8 minutes.
     
    Do you always bake it before you put the filling in?  I know some pie
    recipes suggest pre-baking and some don't.  Or is this only for "dry"
    type pies like cheese cake?
    
    re: grapenuts crust
    >    3/4  grapenuts (nuggets)
     
    Is that 3/4 cup?
    
    D!

    >If you find a low-fat recipe for Cheesecake, let me know....  I keep
    >looking and I can't find one to even come close to the real McCoy!
    
    Well, I haven't had the real thing in a loooong time, so I'm not sure I
    would even know if it was close to the real McCoy.  my problem is
    finding one that has no sugar.  I bought a mix of Jello Sugar-free
    cheesecake, and was about to make it when I noticed that the cheesecake
    itself is sugar-free but the crust was not.  The crust also had lots of
    butter added.  That's why I was looking for a crust.  I'll let you know
    how it goes.
    
    D!

    
    
    I'll have to try Philadelphia next time, I haven't tried it yet !
    
    Re:  Ginger Snap Crust
    
    	I've only used it for a wet filling, so I bake if first, you could
    	it.  It's not real wet, so it may work if you don't bake if first.
    
    Re: Grape Nuts
    
    	Yup !  3/4 cup (the brain works faster than the fingers)
    
    
    LO

    Unfortunately, it's the fat that gives the proper texture to pie
    crusts.  In some cases, you can't get the appropriate texture and
    flavor without using the correct kind of fat.  For example, there's a
    recipe I have that makes wonderful Chinese curried meat pies.  You have
    to use lard in the crust, or it just doesn't come out right--Crisco or
    other solid vegetable shortening sort of works, but it just doesn't
    taste the same and has a slightly different texture.
    
    --PSW

    I don't care about *proper*.  When you haven't had "proper" pie in
    years, you aren't that picky. I just want *something* that tastes good
    and has a good texture that you can put pie in.  I figured out that I
    can make crustless quiche, so that's okay, but I haven't figured out
    how to make crustless apple pie and a crustless cheese cake just isn't
    the same.
    
    I'll try the grapenuts crust this weekend.
    
    D!

D!

When I want apple pie, I make it deep dish style, with no bottom or top crust. 
When it has baked the desired amount to get the filling right, I top it with a
biscuit crust.  It's not completely fat free, but it's lower than pie crust.  I
add some pie spices to the dry ingredients.  When I serve a piece, I put the
crust on the bottom and the filling on top.  It comes out like an apple
shortcake.  

If you want fat free, but don't mind the sugar, use slices of angel food cake on
the baked filling and toast it under the broiler till it browns.

Other alternatives involve finding an acceptable low fat/low sugar cookie/cake
and pounding them into a coarse crumb.  Then sprinkle over the top, spray with
butter flavored pam and toast.