my first homemade pie crust is not working out!!
 

man..how do people do this? i am currently trying to blind bake the crust for some homemade pumpkin pie. this is a disaster. my crust is wet looking, when i removed the pie weights (i'm using pinto beans).

i can buy a pie for $6.99. i'm into this thing for about $30..hahaha. i had to buy so much gear!

10 more minutes till the crust comes out. grrr. this is difficult.

You're not supposed to use the wet hair from the porker...SmileWavy

hahahha..i vomited alittle. that is gross. hahah.

2 Secrets: ice water and don't knead, only mix. Some only use a knife when mixing. Takes too long for me and I lose the effect of the ice water. Your shortening can't be too warm either.

the best crust. Is flour, a little shortening, cold water, pinch of salt & sugar. mix till the shortening is blended, but not all of the way mixed in with the flour. roll out onto a sheet using lots of flour.

you probably added too much water......

Tenderflake Pie Crusts. Tenderflake is pure lard available only in Canada. You can find lard in the US but with different brand names. Do not use Crisco or any other shortening. Search out lard & follow the linked recipe exactly. You will have amazing pie crusts.

Ian

America's Test Kitchen nailed it again...

Crust

* 1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
* 1/2 teaspoon table salt
* 1 tablespoon sugar
* 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch slices
* 1/4 cup cold vegetable shortening, cut into 2 pieces
* 2 tablespoons cold vodka (see recipe)
* 2 tablespoons cold water



1. FOR THE CRUST: Process 3/4 cup flour, salt and sugar in food processor until combined, about two 1-second pulses. Add butter and shortening, and process until homogenous dough just starts to collect in uneven clumps, about 10 seconds; dough will resemble cottage cheese curds with some very small pieces of butter remaining, but there should be no uncoated flour. Scrape bowl with rubber spatula and redistribute dough evenly around processor blade. Add remaining 1/2 cup flour and pulse until mixture is evenly distributed around bowl and mass of dough has been broken up, 4 to 6 quick pulses. Empty mixture into medium bowl.

2. Sprinkle vodka and water over mixture. With rubber spatula, use folding motion to mix, pressing down on dough until dough is slightly tacky and sticks together. Flatten dough into 4-inch disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 45 minutes or up to 2 days.

3. Adjust oven rack to lowest position, place rimmed baking sheet on rack, and heat oven to 400 degrees. Remove dough from refrigerator and roll out on generously floured (up to 1/4 cup) work surface to 12-inch circle about 1/8 inch thick. Roll dough loosely around rolling pin and unroll into pie plate, leaving at least 1-inch overhang on each side. Working around circumference, ease dough into plate by gently lifting edge of dough with one hand while pressing into plate bottom with other hand. Refrigerate 15 minutes.

4. Trim overhang to 1/2 inch beyond lip of pie plate. Fold overhang under itself; folded edge should be flush with edge of pie plate. Using thumb and forefinger, flute edge of dough. Refrigerate dough-lined plate until firm, about 15 minutes.

5. Remove pie pan from refrigerator, line crust with foil, and fill with pie weights or pennies. Bake on rimmed baking sheet 15 minutes. Remove foil and weights, rotate plate, and bake 5 to 10 additional minutes until crust is golden brown and crisp. Remove pie plate and baking sheet from oven.

My 15 yo daughter made her first apple pie from scratch for T-giving. Crust from flour and real Granny Smith green apples. It was perfect.

Ian, my mom used Crisco and made phenomenal crusts. But she used a lot of butter and the ice water. She had a special crust mixing fork which was something like having 6 small knives on the end of a handle.

Someone who knew pie crusts designed that tool. I have only seen the one. She used it until it was worthless and complained about not having one for the rest of her life.

You bet your life I looked constantly for a replacement. And yes, it was a handed tool. A lefty would not have been able to use it at all.

Milt,
Anything like this?
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1291602168.jpg

Or was it a "Foley Fork"?
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1291603870.jpg

I'd tell you how to make it right but my wife's asleep.

The whole thought was "just the cold lard". Better? I kid....

This is a pastry dough 'cutter'.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1291605919.jpg

Ian

tasted great!! amazing really..but not so good looking..

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1291610432.jpg

I'll take no 2 for 3.99 please.

Thanks!

Me mum didn't like that one.

hand work? nope i used this, which significantly speeded up the process. my butter and shortneing never had the time or chance to warm back up.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1291658172.jpg

My pie crusts are outstanding. Like folks say above, use a pastry cutter. Cut the shortening into the flour all you want. It should be kinda crumbly. Then......the water you add should be COLD. Sprinkle it in, mix very lightly with a fork and simply scoop it into a ball. No kneading. Roll it out, and make your pie. Don't forget to poke holes in it with a fork.

I also made my first pie for the family thanksgiving potluck, a pumpkin type. I too wasn't entirely satisfied.

The instructions said to bake 40 minutes and to check the pumpkin mix by poking with a knife - should come out clean. It took about 55 minutes for that to happen and by that time, the crust, at least the edge, was toast. I even wrapped the edge with foil for the first 15 minutes of baking.

Next time, I would go with the suggested time to bake the crust just right, then allow the pumpkin to cook accordingly.

Another observation: Wow, most pie crust recipes call for an equivalent volume of butter and shortening (lard or equivalent). I deleted the lard because I want to live another 15 minutes. In addition, there's a lot of sugar in the recipe: 1 can of sweetened condensed milk. I wondered the difference between evaporated and sweetened condensed milk (14 oz can). I looked it up and it's 3/4 cup of sugar! Good thing one doesn't eat the whole pie in one sitting.

Still, not bad, not too sweet. Just right... for my tastes.

Sherwood