December 24, 2006
Pie-Making Fool!
Written by Margo Maguire in Jaunty PostThat’s what I feel like!
We’re going to my brother’s house for Christmas Eve dinner, and I am bringing pies. I actually learned to make pie crust from my grandmother, and her crust is fabulous and completely reliable. So I made a couple of old stand-bys, pumpkin pie, and an apple pie, too. I changed up the standard apple pie a bit, though. I used a new recipe for the filling that called for orange marmalade but I used orange zest instead. I’ll let you know how it turns out :).
My daughter made a torte recipe that she saw in a magazine. I’m not sure what’s in the crust besides butter, but the filling is made of unsweetened chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, and a bit of peppermint. Then she crushed a couple of candy canes and spread them over the top. Over that is whipped cream (like three cups of it!) with powdered sugar and peppermint beaten in. It’s sinfully rich. Hence the pies … I have a feeling her torte might be too heavy for some of the guests, so there are the old favorites to fall back on.
I hope your own Christmas Eve is as lovely as ours is going to be, with family and friends celebrating together. Merry Christmas!
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Lois Says:
Oooh, that sounds good. The only way we make pies is going into the car and taking a ride to the store. Ages ago when my Grandmother was alive, she did. Liked the chocolate one.
Lois
Sue A. Says:
Hi Margo, the pies sound fabulous!
Could you share your fabulous and completely reliable pie crust recipe? I’ve been trying out variations using butter/shortening combos and I have not been completely happy with the results.
Happy holidays!
Margo Maguire Says:
My reliable piecrust? Well, it’s all in the execution. I use 1 cup flour and about 1/2 cup shortening. Once those two are mixed, I add about 1/4 cup water, sometimes a little more or less (sorry - I know it’s not very exact!). Once the water is in, I mix it well, then handle it VERY LITTLE. That’s the key.
I use waxed paper for my rolling surface, and I flour it well, along with my hands and the rolling pin. Roll it out, using long strokes, until you get a nice circle (the edges will be uneven) that’s bigger than your pie pan.
Here’s the tricky part to describe - getting it from the waxed paper to the pan. Here goes …
I lift one corner of the waxed paper with the dough on it, and start to roll it back over the rolling pin. Carefully, I peel back the waxed paper as I continue rolling the dough over the rolling pin. (So what you have is a very fragile dough hanging over the rolling pin). Then I slide the pan underneath the dough and ease it into the pan.
The key to the whole thing is to handle it as little as possible. If I mess up the first time, I usually throw away the dough and start over rather than rolling it out a second time. A second rolling just makes it tough.
Basically, that’s it. The trickiest part is getting it into the pan
- but that’s a skill you have to develop with practice.
Good luck!
Estella Says:
Sounds yummy.
Happy Holidays, Margo!
Sue A. Says:
Thanks Margo! Good tips! I will try it your way next time I bake a pie.
Happy baking!
Shana Says:
Yum, Margo! I don’t want to go to all the effort to cook it, but I’d eat a slice or three