Is it a sex blog? A mommy blog? A bitch & moan blog? Um, . . . yeah. This is my place to be totally honest. In my real life, I feel like I'm always lying to somebody about something. Here, I am totally honest. Brutally so. However, no matter what bad things I say about my kids, I adore them and would never ever really, say, sell them on Ebay. The husband, often referred to as Spousehole, is another story. Oh yeah - if you are under 18 (or if you are my husband), please leave now.

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

NO FROZEN PIE CRUSTS - EVER!

(Read the title of this post in Faye Dunaway's voice, playing Joan Crawford in Mommy Dearest)

A friend confessed this evening to using frozen pie crust on occasion. I'm am so disillusioned. I'm disheartened. It's just so sad. It takes almost no time at all to make a real pie crust. Whether all shortening (for my dairy-free son; a very flaky crust) or half butter/half shortening (for the best flavor/flakiness combo), pie crust takes no time at all really. Just mix your flour and salt in the food processor, then cut in the frozen shortening and/or chilled butter using the pulse function. (I buy the Crisco sticks and freeze them. They stay fresher and frozen shortening leaves little pockets in the crust for intense flakiness). Drizzle the ice water in through the feed tube just until the dough is combined and VOILA, pie crust. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to roll, then let it rest a couple minutes before rolling. See how simple it is?

Here's what my work area looked like today after 7 crusts rolled:



No big. Especially with the non-stick rolling pin.

5 comments:

Vixen said...

You are so cute. Wanna come over and bake in my kitchen with me? LOL :)

ZigZagMan said...

:) You use a food processor??? Shocked.......shocked and dismayed!!

Actually...I just buy a frozen pie..:)

sandy shoes said...

I have that pastry board!

Frozen crusts are cardboard with a lot of salt and fat.

Thanks for the hint re: freezing shortening. I never thought of it, though I do freeze butter (buy it on sale), so duh. Should've occurred to me.

One of these days I'll have to get me one o' them newfangled food processing thingys.

Phyllis Renée said...

Gosh, don't be disappointed, but I use the Pillsbury pie dough. I haven't made my own pie crust in about 15 years. The Pillsbury crust makes things just a little bit easier/faster and looks and tastes like my own. So I figure, no harm no foul. Happy Thanksgiving.

P.S. Enjoying your blog.

The Creeper said...

Don't beat me, but I do either frozen crusts or the refrigerated Pillsbury ones, too. Why? I have almost no counter space whatsoever.

Nor do I have a food processor. Ha. Where would I put it? My kitchen is in such a state of "remodeling hell" that even cabinet space is hard to come by.

Oh, oh, oh! I made that pecan pumpkin pie you posted the recipe for...HEAVEN!!! Seriously, that was the easiest and tastiest pie. Dare I say I may never want to eat another plain pumpkin pie again.