Sunday, June 5, 2011

Pie Crust!

I used to make pie crusts in the food processor. (hangs head in shame)
That is unnecessarily time consuming and messy, not to mention overkill on a dough that should be worked gently and briefly as possible.

Pie crust is easy! Almost as easy as opening a box, cutting the plastic, and unrolling the already-made stuff.
Its also cheaper, and I would bet you, flakier!

All you need is:
2 cups AP (thats short for all purpose flour)
3/4 cups lard
1 tsp. salt
3 oz. ice water

(I fill a small glass with ice water, and leave it there until I'm ready to measure the water, then pour 3 0z. into my measuring cup)
(btw, 3 oz. is 6 tablespoons)

What you do is:
measure your flour and salt into a bowl. Add the lard. now take your hand and work the lard into the flour. When you have worked it in enough it will resemble a very coarse meal. I just work it in until theres no great big globs of obvious lard.
Now, pour in your ice water with one hand and work it in with the other. It may not take all of it! But it will take almost all. You want it to come together into a ball, a workable ball, but not a gooey-sticky ball. Once its a ball, let it alone. Dont overwork it.

At this point, you can roll it out on a floured surface, or refrigerate for a few hours then make your pie.

Either way, this is really good pie crust.

Pie Crust!