Happiness is being "The Pie Lady"

This weekend we went to a picnic with five families from previous assignments,  When deciding what to make, I decided on making two of my favorite pies - the Chocolate Chip Derby Pie and the Cherry Berry Pie.  On Saturday morning, I gathered the ingredients, made the crusts and set out for the task at hand.  When Shawn came in the kitchen, he asked, "Why pie?  No one at this party will know that you're the Pie Lady.  This is your chance to remake yourself... no need to be chained to the past."

I thought about this for a minute or two.  After bringing pies to many events in the last five years, it didn't really occur to me that I would NOT bring pie, even if I was bringing something else.  I've worked hard to develop my recipes, and am happy to share with people who enjoy them.  And so I replied, "But I'm happy for pie to be "my thing."  It's a dying art and I don't want it to get lost in the process."

And so we went with our two pies to the picnic... and the Pie Lady still lives on.

So in my effort to keep the art of pie making alive, I'm sharing with you some of my best tips.

1 - I've used Pillsbury Refrigerated Crust since it came out... and it's a really good crust.  In fact, I keep a package in the freezer in case of a pie emergency.  But  I have finally found a crust recipe that works consistently for me.  And so I'm going to share that with you, just so that you can see if it works for you, too.

2 - Most fruit pies need a bottom crust and a top crust.  The top one can be the same crust as the bottom, but the top one can be a mixture of flour, sugar, butter and oatmeal, often called a streusel topping.  Cherry and apple are especially good with streusel topping.  And if you're going to top your pie with a regular crust, do something fancy like cutting out shapes with a cookie cutter (I'm partial to stars) or making a lattice top.  Don't think that's too hard because I've taught my nieces and nephews to make lattice tops, so you can learn it, too.

3 - Know your oven.  The time in a recipe is usually a starting place for me.  You want the top crust to be brown and crisp-looking and the filling to be bubbly toward the center.  If it's not, your pie will be soupy in the middle.

4 - Cooked pies need to cool to lukewarm or room temperature, otherwise they will run when cut and make the bottom crust soggy.

5 - Fruit pie and ice cream is an equivalent breakfast to cereal with fruit and milk.

Deb's Very Easy Pie Crust
(If you don't have shortening, you can use all butter.)
[I use a food processor, but you can make this with a pastry blender or two knives to cut the fat into the flour.]
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
8 tablespoons butter (1 stick), chilled and cut into small pieces
4 tablespoons shortening
6-8 tablespoons ice-cold water

Place the flour and salt in the bowl of your food processor or mixer.  Add the butter pieces and the shortening and cut into the flour.  In a food processor, pulse the mixture until the fat is broken down into pieces the size of peas.  If using a mixer, use a pastry blender or two knives to cut the fat into the flour.  After that is accomplished, add the ice cold water a tablespoon at a time until the crust comes together in a ball.  This usually takes 5-7 tablespoons, depending on the humidity and the brand of flour you use.  (If I'm not using my food processor I do this part with the dough hook on my mixer.)

Pour the crust mixture out on a lightly floured surface and bring together in a ball.  Divide into two pieces, pat into round disks about 4 inches in diameter, and wrap in plastic wrap.  Chill for at least 30 minutes.  Can be held overnight or frozen for future use.

When ready to put the pie together, bring the dough out of the refrigerator and use a rolling pin to make into a 12-inch circle.  Line a 9 or 10-inch pie plate with the dough.  Ease it into the corners at the bottom of the plate carefully.  If it tears, no worries, just piece it back together.

Repeat with the top crust - crimp edges to seal so that the juices won't run into the bottom of your oven.  (I usually bake mine on a cookie sheet lined with foil, just in case.)

Fruit Filling (I find that most fruit pies (not apple) use the same proportions fairly well.)
3 cups of fruit (raspberries, blackberries, cherries, peaches, rhubarb & apricots work well, often in combination)
1/2 to 3/4 cup granulated sugar, depending on taste
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons corn starch or tapioca
2 tablespoons butter, melted
(cherry and berry pies often benefit from the addition of 1/4 teaspoon of almond extract)

Mix filling ingredients together and place in prepared pie crust.  If you use frozen fruit, you may need to drain the excess juice, otherwise your pie may overflow it's borders.  Bake at 375-400 degrees for 30 minutes, check the pie, and if the pie is browning on the edges, turn the temperature down to 350.  Or you can over the pie loosely with aluminum foil, to keep it from browning too fast.

Struesel Topping
1/2 cup of all-purpose flour

1/2 cup oatmeal (old-fashioned or quick, not instant)

1/2 cup of butter, melted

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon of salt

Mix ingredients together into a sandy mixture.  Sprinkle on top of fruit mixture in crust and bake as previously described.

Enjoy!

Peace, Deb