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algI make a lot of apple pies. This is funny because I really do not like apple pie, or fruit pies in general. What I like is pie crust. For some reason, most people do not want to eat pie crust without filling. I don't get it! I even tried, at one point, to use pie crust to make jam tarts in a muffin tin, with just the tiniest spoonful of homemade jam. No dice. (I found them delicious.)
Today is my mom's birthday. Some of you know that she is a reading teacher (now all of you know it!). She is usually up by five and out of the house by six and at work by seven, which makes eating breakfast together as a family somewhat challenging for those of us who don't wake up before she leaves. So her birthday breakfast is actually going to be tomorrow -- when she'll be able to enjoy it, and my sister and brother-in-law will be able to join us -- and it is going to be pie.
I am a big supporter of pie for breakfast, to be honest. There's something really delightful about it. And it's pretty healthy. I mean, it's fruit, right? ;)
My pie recipe is seemingly impossible to screw up. Sometimes it is more delicious than other times, but that is mostly about external factors, like the weather and temperamental ovens. Adjusting for those external factors can be really difficult. Okay, once it was my fault: I forgot to add butter to the inside!
I usually make my pie crust by hand -- the extra time it takes is made up for by not having to wash the food processor. But I am including directions for the food processor, too.
The sweet pie with sweet crust. I usually make this crust when I am making a faux caramel apple pie. (For a real caramel apple pie, one must make the caramel first, and I am often too lazy or without enough time for it.)
The Filling:
6 - 8 apples (I like yellow apples; your taste may vary!)
3/4 - 1 cup brown sugar (I use dark brown, but light brown is okay)
1/4 - 1/2 cup AP flour
1/2 stick butter, cubed
nutmeg and cinnamon
Peel and cut the apples. Put them in a big bowl and stir them around with the sugar, flour, and a sprinkle of nutmeg and a sprinkle of cinnamon (or more, to your taste) until they are all coated.
Once the filling goes into the crust, that's when you put the cubed butter on top, so that it can melt over the apples.
The Crust:
1 egg (for later)
2 cups AP flour
1/4 cup white sugar (+ about a tablespoon for later)
1 tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) of cold, unsalted butter, cubed
~1 cup ice water (i usually put about 1-1/2 cups of cold water into a bowl with some ice cubes)
Put the flour, sugar, and salt into a bowl. Add the butter. Using your fingers, break the pieces of butter up until they are covered in flour. They should get pretty small. You'll probably spend about ten minutes doing this. Don't worry if your butter is in odd sizes or looks weird. It's okay.
Wash your hands, and pick up a fork. You are now going to add the water and stir until everything comes together. I recommend adding the water a little at a time. Maybe a quarter of a cup at a time or so. Once you are more comfortable with making pie dough, you can just dump it in. (Seriously.) Try not to stir too much, because activating a lot of the gluten in the flour will make a tough crust. Of course, some people (like me!) like a tougher crust. It's all about your personal preferences!
If you are using a food processor, pulse a couple of times. Do not pulse until it looks "like sand." That is where many pie recipes go wrong. You want large enough chunks of butter that it will melt and steam off the water. Trust me.
Then add the water a little at a time, and keep pulsing until the dough starts to pull together.
Do not worry if you add too much water. Really. It is not the end of the world. It's pie crust.
Leave the pie crust in the bowl and cover it with plastic wrap, or put it into a gallon-size zip top bag, and stick it in the fridge to rest. Let it rest for at least an hour.
After an hour (or more, whatever) you can pull it out of the fridge, cut it in half, and roll it out. Rolling is a really personal thing and everyone does it a different way. To be totally honest, sometimes I don't even bother with it. I just pull a big hunk of dough out and press it into the pan with the heel of my hand. If you do roll it, be careful not to add too much flour -- this dough can take up to another quarter-cup of flour pretty easily, but after that it gets a little gross.
If you roll, roll your bottom piece big enough to fall over the sides of the pie plate a little. If your dough is not totally circular, don't worry about it. Just pull some dough off the long side and mush it to the short side. Seriously. Who's going to know? Only you. It will be your little secret.
Put the filling into the pie plate and cover with the second piece of dough. Now fold up the dough hanging over the side. You can use the tines of a fork to make impressions that hold the dough together, or you can just fiddle with it with your fingers. I usually use my fingers to make the edges look ripple-y, or wavy. Then take a knife and cut out a design from the center. I like to make a star or a heart. My mom just pricks the top a couple of times with a fork. Do it as you like it. If you make a fancy design, like a dalek, make sure you send me the link to a picture!
The time to preheat your oven is before you roll out the dough. I like 375F with the rack in the middle, but sometimes I'll bake at 400F. It depends on the weather (when it's cold, I bake at a higher temp because it helps warm the house), and my mood. If you forget to preheat before you roll the dough, just shove the pie into the fridge while the oven preheats. Don't let it sit out unless your house is particularly cold, though. The butter in the crust will start to melt -- but without evaporating the water inside! The dough will get soggy and tough.
The last thing to do is beat your egg and use a brush to glaze the top of your pie. Until a few months ago, I did not own a pastry brush, and just used my fingers. Whatever makes you happy! Don't forget to do the edges. Then (wash your hands and) use that last tablespoon of white sugar to sprinkle the top.
Bake at 375F for an hour, or at 400F for 35 - 45 minutes. It's done when the top is golden and delicious-looking.
Note that this pie crust is pretty easy to scale up and down. It's basically just a cup of flour to a stick of butter with 2 tbsp white sugar and 1/2 tsp salt. I often make a quick one-crust "turnover" type thing with three apples for nights when I want a fast dessert that will have just enough leftovers that my mom can take the last piece to school the next day. If you want to add more apples to the pie, scale the crust up so that it will cover all the apples. If you want fewer apples, you can scale the crust down -- or just eat a lot of crust. Mmmm crust.
The more savory apple pie. This has much less sugar and less butter -- but also has cheddar cheese in the crust. This is my favorite kind of apple pie. It took me a couple of tries to get the ratios right, because the first time I forgot that the cheese would add salt and fat to the crust. Oops!
The Filling:
6 - 8 apples (I like yellow apples; your taste may vary!)
1/3 - 1/2 cup brown sugar (I use dark brown, but light brown is okay)
1/4 cup AP flour
1/2 stick butter, cubed
Peel and cut the apples. [That link is a picture.] Put them in a big bowl and stir them around with the sugar and flour until they are all coated.
Once the filling goes into the crust, that's when you put the cubed butter on top, so that it can melt over the apples.
The Crust:
1 egg (for later)
2-1/4 cups AP flour
1 tbsp white sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) of cold, unsalted butter, cubed
3 - 5 ounces of cheddar cheese, shredded (I usually use all five ounces, because it's delicious)
~1 cup ice water (i usually put about 1-1/2 cups of cold water into a bowl with some ice cubes)
Put the flour, sugar, and salt into a bowl. Add the butter. Using your fingers, break the pieces of butter up until they are covered in flour. They should get pretty small. You'll probably spend about ten minutes doing this. Don't worry if your butter is in odd sizes or looks weird. It's okay.
Wash your hands, and pick up a fork. Add the cheddar cheese in handfuls and stir until the cheese is coated with the flour and butter mixture. Here is a picture!
You are now going to add the water and stir until everything comes together. I recommend adding the water a little at a time. Maybe a quarter of a cup at a time or so. Once you are more comfortable with making pie dough, you can just dump it in. (Seriously.) Try not to stir too much, because activating a lot of the gluten in the flour will make a tough crust. Of course, some people (like me!) like a tougher crust. It's all about your personal preferences!
Do not worry if you add too much water. Really. It is not the end of the world. It's pie crust.
(I do not recommend using a food processor for this type of crust, because it will break up the pieces of cheese into much smaller pieces. If you want a cheese flavor without getting too much cheese in your mouth at once, I guess the food processor would be okay. If you like the strong cheese taste, do this by hand.)
Leave the pie crust in the bowl and cover it with plastic wrap, or put it into a gallon-size zip top bag, and stick it in the fridge to rest. Let it rest for at least an hour.
After an hour (or more, whatever) you can pull it out of the fridge, cut it in half, and roll it out [this link is a picture]. Rolling is a really personal thing and everyone does it a different way. To be totally honest, sometimes I don't even bother with it. I just pull a big hunk of dough out and press it into the pan with the heel of my hand. If you do roll it, be careful not to add too much flour -- this dough can take up to another quarter-cup of flour pretty easily, but after that it gets a little gross.
If you roll, roll your bottom piece big enough to fall over the sides of the pie plate a little [that link is a picture]. If your dough is not totally circular, don't worry about it. Just pull some dough off the long side and mush it to the short side. Seriously. Who's going to know? Only you. It will be your little secret.
Put the filling into the pie plate and cover with the second piece of dough. Now fold up the dough hanging over the side. You can use the tines of a fork to make impressions that hold the dough together, or you can just fiddle with it with your fingers. I usually use my fingers to make the edges look ripple-y, or wavy. [That link is a picture; pay no attention to the challah bread in the background!] Then take a knife and cut out a design from the center. I like to make a star or a heart [that link is a picture]. My mom just pricks the top a couple of times with a fork. Do it as you like it. If you make a fancy design, like a dalek, make sure you send me the link to a picture!
The time to preheat your oven is before you roll out the dough. I like 375F with the rack in the middle, but sometimes I'll bake at 400F. It depends on the weather (when it's cold, I bake at a higher temp because it helps warm the house), and my mood. If you forget to preheat before you roll the dough, just shove the pie into the fridge while the oven preheats. Don't let it sit out unless your house is particularly cold, though. The butter in the crust will start to melt -- but without evaporating the water inside! The dough will get soggy and tough.
The last thing to do is beat your egg and use a brush to glaze the top of your pie. Until a few months ago, I did not own a pastry brush, and just used my fingers. Whatever makes you happy! Don't forget to do the edges.
Bake at 375F for an hour, or at 400F for 35 - 45 minutes. It's done when the top is golden and delicious-looking.
Both of these pies need to rest -- the sweet pie needs to rest until it's cool because otherwise the "juices" will all run out; the savory pie needs to rest because otherwise it tastes weird. I usually make pie in the morning -- then it can sit out all afternoon and cool off on the kitchen table. I do not like to put pie in the fridge when it's cooling, because it makes the crust soggy. Maybe you like soggy crust, though -- I'm not judging! You should always make the kind of crust you like to eat!!
The sweet crust can be used for any kind of fruit pie (my favorite: a combination of peach, blueberry, and cherry!). If you blind bake it, you can use it for a custard or pudding pie/tart thing. Or ice cream. Mmmmmm.
The savory crust can be used for any kind of savory dish. I've made it (with and without the cheese*) to be the crust of pot pies, quiches, savory tarts...
* To make it without the cheese, just drop the cheese and add another 1/2 stick of butter, for a total of 1 cup.
And then enjoy delicious pie... I don't know how we're going to hold off until tomorrow morning!
click to embiggen
Today is my mom's birthday. Some of you know that she is a reading teacher (now all of you know it!). She is usually up by five and out of the house by six and at work by seven, which makes eating breakfast together as a family somewhat challenging for those of us who don't wake up before she leaves. So her birthday breakfast is actually going to be tomorrow -- when she'll be able to enjoy it, and my sister and brother-in-law will be able to join us -- and it is going to be pie.
I am a big supporter of pie for breakfast, to be honest. There's something really delightful about it. And it's pretty healthy. I mean, it's fruit, right? ;)
My pie recipe is seemingly impossible to screw up. Sometimes it is more delicious than other times, but that is mostly about external factors, like the weather and temperamental ovens. Adjusting for those external factors can be really difficult. Okay, once it was my fault: I forgot to add butter to the inside!
I usually make my pie crust by hand -- the extra time it takes is made up for by not having to wash the food processor. But I am including directions for the food processor, too.
The sweet pie with sweet crust. I usually make this crust when I am making a faux caramel apple pie. (For a real caramel apple pie, one must make the caramel first, and I am often too lazy or without enough time for it.)
The Filling:
6 - 8 apples (I like yellow apples; your taste may vary!)
3/4 - 1 cup brown sugar (I use dark brown, but light brown is okay)
1/4 - 1/2 cup AP flour
1/2 stick butter, cubed
nutmeg and cinnamon
Peel and cut the apples. Put them in a big bowl and stir them around with the sugar, flour, and a sprinkle of nutmeg and a sprinkle of cinnamon (or more, to your taste) until they are all coated.
Once the filling goes into the crust, that's when you put the cubed butter on top, so that it can melt over the apples.
The Crust:
1 egg (for later)
2 cups AP flour
1/4 cup white sugar (+ about a tablespoon for later)
1 tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) of cold, unsalted butter, cubed
~1 cup ice water (i usually put about 1-1/2 cups of cold water into a bowl with some ice cubes)
Put the flour, sugar, and salt into a bowl. Add the butter. Using your fingers, break the pieces of butter up until they are covered in flour. They should get pretty small. You'll probably spend about ten minutes doing this. Don't worry if your butter is in odd sizes or looks weird. It's okay.
Wash your hands, and pick up a fork. You are now going to add the water and stir until everything comes together. I recommend adding the water a little at a time. Maybe a quarter of a cup at a time or so. Once you are more comfortable with making pie dough, you can just dump it in. (Seriously.) Try not to stir too much, because activating a lot of the gluten in the flour will make a tough crust. Of course, some people (like me!) like a tougher crust. It's all about your personal preferences!
If you are using a food processor, pulse a couple of times. Do not pulse until it looks "like sand." That is where many pie recipes go wrong. You want large enough chunks of butter that it will melt and steam off the water. Trust me.
Then add the water a little at a time, and keep pulsing until the dough starts to pull together.
Do not worry if you add too much water. Really. It is not the end of the world. It's pie crust.
Leave the pie crust in the bowl and cover it with plastic wrap, or put it into a gallon-size zip top bag, and stick it in the fridge to rest. Let it rest for at least an hour.
After an hour (or more, whatever) you can pull it out of the fridge, cut it in half, and roll it out. Rolling is a really personal thing and everyone does it a different way. To be totally honest, sometimes I don't even bother with it. I just pull a big hunk of dough out and press it into the pan with the heel of my hand. If you do roll it, be careful not to add too much flour -- this dough can take up to another quarter-cup of flour pretty easily, but after that it gets a little gross.
If you roll, roll your bottom piece big enough to fall over the sides of the pie plate a little. If your dough is not totally circular, don't worry about it. Just pull some dough off the long side and mush it to the short side. Seriously. Who's going to know? Only you. It will be your little secret.
Put the filling into the pie plate and cover with the second piece of dough. Now fold up the dough hanging over the side. You can use the tines of a fork to make impressions that hold the dough together, or you can just fiddle with it with your fingers. I usually use my fingers to make the edges look ripple-y, or wavy. Then take a knife and cut out a design from the center. I like to make a star or a heart. My mom just pricks the top a couple of times with a fork. Do it as you like it. If you make a fancy design, like a dalek, make sure you send me the link to a picture!
The time to preheat your oven is before you roll out the dough. I like 375F with the rack in the middle, but sometimes I'll bake at 400F. It depends on the weather (when it's cold, I bake at a higher temp because it helps warm the house), and my mood. If you forget to preheat before you roll the dough, just shove the pie into the fridge while the oven preheats. Don't let it sit out unless your house is particularly cold, though. The butter in the crust will start to melt -- but without evaporating the water inside! The dough will get soggy and tough.
The last thing to do is beat your egg and use a brush to glaze the top of your pie. Until a few months ago, I did not own a pastry brush, and just used my fingers. Whatever makes you happy! Don't forget to do the edges. Then (wash your hands and) use that last tablespoon of white sugar to sprinkle the top.
Bake at 375F for an hour, or at 400F for 35 - 45 minutes. It's done when the top is golden and delicious-looking.
Note that this pie crust is pretty easy to scale up and down. It's basically just a cup of flour to a stick of butter with 2 tbsp white sugar and 1/2 tsp salt. I often make a quick one-crust "turnover" type thing with three apples for nights when I want a fast dessert that will have just enough leftovers that my mom can take the last piece to school the next day. If you want to add more apples to the pie, scale the crust up so that it will cover all the apples. If you want fewer apples, you can scale the crust down -- or just eat a lot of crust. Mmmm crust.
The more savory apple pie. This has much less sugar and less butter -- but also has cheddar cheese in the crust. This is my favorite kind of apple pie. It took me a couple of tries to get the ratios right, because the first time I forgot that the cheese would add salt and fat to the crust. Oops!
The Filling:
6 - 8 apples (I like yellow apples; your taste may vary!)
1/3 - 1/2 cup brown sugar (I use dark brown, but light brown is okay)
1/4 cup AP flour
1/2 stick butter, cubed
Peel and cut the apples. [That link is a picture.] Put them in a big bowl and stir them around with the sugar and flour until they are all coated.
Once the filling goes into the crust, that's when you put the cubed butter on top, so that it can melt over the apples.
The Crust:
1 egg (for later)
2-1/4 cups AP flour
1 tbsp white sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) of cold, unsalted butter, cubed
3 - 5 ounces of cheddar cheese, shredded (I usually use all five ounces, because it's delicious)
~1 cup ice water (i usually put about 1-1/2 cups of cold water into a bowl with some ice cubes)
Put the flour, sugar, and salt into a bowl. Add the butter. Using your fingers, break the pieces of butter up until they are covered in flour. They should get pretty small. You'll probably spend about ten minutes doing this. Don't worry if your butter is in odd sizes or looks weird. It's okay.
Wash your hands, and pick up a fork. Add the cheddar cheese in handfuls and stir until the cheese is coated with the flour and butter mixture. Here is a picture!
You are now going to add the water and stir until everything comes together. I recommend adding the water a little at a time. Maybe a quarter of a cup at a time or so. Once you are more comfortable with making pie dough, you can just dump it in. (Seriously.) Try not to stir too much, because activating a lot of the gluten in the flour will make a tough crust. Of course, some people (like me!) like a tougher crust. It's all about your personal preferences!
Do not worry if you add too much water. Really. It is not the end of the world. It's pie crust.
(I do not recommend using a food processor for this type of crust, because it will break up the pieces of cheese into much smaller pieces. If you want a cheese flavor without getting too much cheese in your mouth at once, I guess the food processor would be okay. If you like the strong cheese taste, do this by hand.)
Leave the pie crust in the bowl and cover it with plastic wrap, or put it into a gallon-size zip top bag, and stick it in the fridge to rest. Let it rest for at least an hour.
After an hour (or more, whatever) you can pull it out of the fridge, cut it in half, and roll it out [this link is a picture]. Rolling is a really personal thing and everyone does it a different way. To be totally honest, sometimes I don't even bother with it. I just pull a big hunk of dough out and press it into the pan with the heel of my hand. If you do roll it, be careful not to add too much flour -- this dough can take up to another quarter-cup of flour pretty easily, but after that it gets a little gross.
If you roll, roll your bottom piece big enough to fall over the sides of the pie plate a little [that link is a picture]. If your dough is not totally circular, don't worry about it. Just pull some dough off the long side and mush it to the short side. Seriously. Who's going to know? Only you. It will be your little secret.
Put the filling into the pie plate and cover with the second piece of dough. Now fold up the dough hanging over the side. You can use the tines of a fork to make impressions that hold the dough together, or you can just fiddle with it with your fingers. I usually use my fingers to make the edges look ripple-y, or wavy. [That link is a picture; pay no attention to the challah bread in the background!] Then take a knife and cut out a design from the center. I like to make a star or a heart [that link is a picture]. My mom just pricks the top a couple of times with a fork. Do it as you like it. If you make a fancy design, like a dalek, make sure you send me the link to a picture!
The time to preheat your oven is before you roll out the dough. I like 375F with the rack in the middle, but sometimes I'll bake at 400F. It depends on the weather (when it's cold, I bake at a higher temp because it helps warm the house), and my mood. If you forget to preheat before you roll the dough, just shove the pie into the fridge while the oven preheats. Don't let it sit out unless your house is particularly cold, though. The butter in the crust will start to melt -- but without evaporating the water inside! The dough will get soggy and tough.
The last thing to do is beat your egg and use a brush to glaze the top of your pie. Until a few months ago, I did not own a pastry brush, and just used my fingers. Whatever makes you happy! Don't forget to do the edges.
Bake at 375F for an hour, or at 400F for 35 - 45 minutes. It's done when the top is golden and delicious-looking.
Both of these pies need to rest -- the sweet pie needs to rest until it's cool because otherwise the "juices" will all run out; the savory pie needs to rest because otherwise it tastes weird. I usually make pie in the morning -- then it can sit out all afternoon and cool off on the kitchen table. I do not like to put pie in the fridge when it's cooling, because it makes the crust soggy. Maybe you like soggy crust, though -- I'm not judging! You should always make the kind of crust you like to eat!!
The sweet crust can be used for any kind of fruit pie (my favorite: a combination of peach, blueberry, and cherry!). If you blind bake it, you can use it for a custard or pudding pie/tart thing. Or ice cream. Mmmmmm.
The savory crust can be used for any kind of savory dish. I've made it (with and without the cheese*) to be the crust of pot pies, quiches, savory tarts...
* To make it without the cheese, just drop the cheese and add another 1/2 stick of butter, for a total of 1 cup.
And then enjoy delicious pie... I don't know how we're going to hold off until tomorrow morning!
click to embiggen