Pies

Flaky Pie Crust (Family)

3 c all-purpose flour
2 1/4 tsp sugar
1/2 - 2/3 tsp salt
1 cup chilled unsalted butter
3 1/2 tbsp chilled vegetable shortening
8 tbsp cold or partially-frozen water
Egg wash
 
Technique is paramount when making pie pastry.
 
To put it simply: mix together the flour, sugar, and salt.  Cut the shortening and butter into pieces and work it into the dry ingredients.  Allow for small, flattened chunks of butter to form in the pastry - these are essential for the texture of your final crust.  Ultimately you want your pastry to be shaggy and full, just barely holding itself together.  Keep your hands cold, and work fast so that the butter does not soften or start to melt.

Apple Pie (Family)

~8 large apples, peeled, cored, and sliced evenly
(Granny smiths are common, however I prefer to use a variety for more complex flavors)
1 - 1 1/4 cup sugar
(Varies depending on tartness of apples)
2 1/3 tbsp tapioca
1/4 - 1/2 tsp salt
 
4 tsp fresh lemon zest
4 tsp fresh lemon juice
 
2 tsp ground cinnamon
Pinch grated nutmeg
(small!) Pinch ground cardamom
2 tbsp butter
 
1 Flaky Pie Crust (Family)
 
To make this filling, whisk together sugar, tapioca, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl.  Add the apples, lemon zest, and lemon juice, tossing to coat.  Set aside.
 
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees
 
To assemble the pie, roll dough to 10-inch disks.  Place one crust in the pie plate, fill it with apples, and dot the 2 tbsp butter over the filling.  Place the second crust on top.  Crimp the crust around the edges.  Trim the crust if it hangs more than 1/2 inch over the edge of the pie plate.  Cut slashes or vents over the center of the crust to vent it.
 
Place the pie on the lowest rack of the oven to cook the bottom crust; bake for 10 minutes.  Lower the heat to 350, move the pie to center rack, and continue to cook for 45 to 50 minutes.  The crust will be golden and the apples will be bubbling around the edges.

Easter Pie (Wheatberry Pie)

Easter Pie (Pasta Frolla)
 
1/2 lb Crisco (two cups)
1/2 lb powdered sugar (2 cups)
A little vanilla
4 eggs 2 whole - 2 yolks
1 lb flour (4 cups!)
 
Cream lard with sugar
Break eggs -- add flour
 
When rolling out, work on cloth with stocking on rolling pin.
 
350*F
 
Easter Wheat Pie Filling
 
2 lbs ricotta
1 1/2 lb cooked wheat
  (1lb raw is about 3.5lb cooked)
2 c sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
4 egg yolks
3 egg whites
1/2 c. finely chopped citron and orange peel
1 c boiled milk (scalded)
1 1/2 tbsp orange water
 
Drain ricotta. Add sugar, egg yolks.
Blend together. Add beaten egg whites, cooled boiled (scalded) milk, wheat, citron, orange peel, cinnamon, and orange water. Blend all ingredients together thoroughly.
 
 NOTES:
"If you decide to cook your own wheat, go for the soft wheat (Buy wheat grain (wheatberries) from specialty stores, importer, etc.), which you can usually find in health food stores. Soak it in a triple volume of water for 24 hours, draining the soaking water and starting with fresh water, about 3 cups of cooking water per 1 cup of wheat. Cook the wheat for 2 hours, uncovered, at a low simmer, or until the grains are pale, soft and tender.
 
ALT: Combine Bob’s Red Mill Soft White Wheat Berries, ½ tsp salt, and 4 cups of water in a medium pot.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until grains are soft, about 90 minutes. 
Allow the entire mixture to cool, and if some of the cooking liquid congeals around the kernels that's fine—don't try to separate the goo from the grain. You can process the ricotta smooth in a food processor first if you know that your crowd isn't into the distinctive texture that ricotta brings to the dessert."
 
Fresh Ricotta is very important - highest quality you can find

Lemon Merangue Pie

Source: Cook's Illustrated

Ingredients
Crust
1 ¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon table salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter,
chilled and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
4 tablespoons vegetable shortening, chilled
3–4 tablespoons cold water
½ cup graham cracker crumbs

Lemon Filling
1 cup granulated sugar
¼ cup cornstarch
⅛ teaspoon table salt
1 ½ cups cold water
6 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon lemon zest from 1 lemon
½ cup lemon juice from 2 to 3 lemons
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Meringue Topping
1 tablespoon cornstarch
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
½ cup granulated sugar
4 large egg whites
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

For the pie shell: Mix flour, salt and sugar in food processor fitted with steel blade. Scatter butter pieces over flour mixture, tossing to coat butter with a little of the flour. Cut butter into flour with five 1 second pulses. Add shortening; continue cutting in until flour is pale yellow and resembles coarse cornmeal with butter bits no larger than a small pea, about four more 1-second pulses. Turn mixture into medium bowl.

Sprinkle 3 tablespoons cold water over mixture. Using rubber spatula, fold water into mixture; press down on dough mixture with broad side of spatula until dough sticks together. If dough will not come together, add up to 1 tablespoon more cold water. Shape dough into ball, then flatten into 4-inch-wide disk. Dust lightly with flour, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 30 minutes before rolling.

Generously sprinkle work area with 2 tablespoons graham cracker crumbs. Place dough on work area. Scatter a few more crumbs over dough (see illustration 1, below). Roll dough from center to edges, turning it into a 9-inch disk, rotating a quarter turn after each stroke and sprinkling additional crumbs underneath and on top as necessary to coat heavily, (see illustration 2). Flip dough over and continue to roll, but not rotate, to form a 13-inch disk slightly less than 1/8-inch thick.

Fold dough into quarters; place dough point in center of 9-inch Pyrex pie pan. Unfold to cover pan completely, letting excess dough drape over pan lip. To fit dough to pan, lift edge of dough with one hand and press dough in pan bottom with other hand; repeat process around circumferences of pan to ensure dough fits properly and is not stretched. Trim all around, 1/2-inch past lip of pan. Tuck 1/2 inch of overhanging dough under so folded edge is flush with lip of pan; press to seal. Press thumb and index finger about 1/2-inch apart against outside edge of dough, then use index finger or knuckle of other hand to poke a dent on inside edge of dough through opening created by the other fingers. Repeat to flute around perimeter of pie shell.

Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Use fork to prick shell at 1/2-inch intervals; press a doubled 12-inch square of aluminum foil into pie shell; prick again and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Adjust oven rack to lowest position, heat oven to 400 degrees. Bake, checking occasionally for ballooning, until crust is firmly set, about 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees, remove foil, and continue to bake until crust is crisp and rich brown in color, about 10 minutes longer.

For the filling: Mix sugar, cornstarch, salt, and water in a large, nonreactive saucepan. Bring mixture to simmer over medium heat, whisking occasionally at beginning of the process and more frequently as mixture begins to thicken. When mixture starts to simmer and turn translucent, whisk in egg yolks, two at a time. Whisk in zest, then lemon juice, and finally butter. Bring mixture to a brisk simmer, whisking constantly. Remove from heat, place plastic wrap directly on surface of filling to keep hot and prevent skin from forming.

For the meringue: Mix cornstarch with 1/3 cup water in small saucepan; bring to simmer, whisking occasionally at beginning and more frequently as mixture thickens. When mixture starts to simmer and turn translucent, remove from heat. Let cool while beating egg whites.

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Mix cream of tartar and sugar together. Beat egg whites and vanilla until frothy. Beat in sugar mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time; until sugar is incorporated and mixture forms soft peaks. Add cornstarch mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time; continue to beat meringue to stiff peaks. Remove plastic from filling and return to very low heat during last minute or so of beating meringue (to ensure filling is hot).

Pour filling into pie shell. Using a rubber spatula, immediately distribute meringue evenly around edge then center of pie to keep it from sinking into filling. Make sure meringue attaches to pie crust to prevent shrinking (illustration 3). Use spoon to create peaks all over meringue. Bake pie until meringue is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and cool to room temperature. Serve.

Oil Pie Crust

Oil Pie Crust

Source: 1978 Betty Crocker Cookbook

Ingredients

8- or 9-inch one-crust pie

8- or 9-inch two-crust pie

Directions
  1. Mix flour, oil, and salt until particles are the size of small peas.
  2. Sprinkle in water, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing until all flour is moistened and pastry almost cleans side of bowl. (If pastry seems dry, 1 to 2 tablespoons oil can be added. Do not add water.)
  3. Gather pastry into a ball.
  4. Shape pastry into flattened round (or two flattened rounds for two-crust pie). Place flattened round between two 15-inch lengths of waxed paper (for 9-inch pie, tape 2 pieces together to make wider strips).
  5. Wipe table with damp cloth to prevent paper from slipping. Roll pastry 2 inches larger than inverted pie plate. Peel off top paper. Place pastry paper side up in plate. Peel off paper. Ease pastry loosely into plate.
  6. Trim and use in the same manner as a normal pie crust; note that blind baking the pie shell may take an additional 10-15 minutes.