Oh My.....PIE!!!



Growing up, my family was a cake family.  My mom was the master of everything cake and we would have one cake or another for special occasions.  When I began dating my hubby, I went through all the various cake recipes that  Mom had.  Regular cakes, specialty cakes, ice cream cakes, jello cakes, you name it, I made it.  He was always very polite, would ask for a small piece and would scrape off the frosting-every time.  When I began going to his house for holiday and celebrations, I began to see why cake was not his favorite.  He came from a "Pie family."  They would have pie for birthdays, celebrations, holidays (EVERY holiday, not just Thanksgiving and Christmas), or just as general dessert.

Once I figured that out, I began to make pies more regularly.  We did have pie in my family so it was not really that foreign.  My Dad's favorites were Apple and Chocolate Cream,  but when Mom made pie crust, everyone left the kitchen.  Pie dough could be tricky and Mom would want to concentrate completely on what she was doing.  Hubby's mother was the same way, when she made pie dough, you found someplace else to be.  (However, I was the Queen at coming in when the dough was done,  and snitch  bits and pieces. I love raw pie dough.)

Over the years I tried many pie dough recipes.  One afternoon I was visiting my grandmother, and was telling her about one of my adventures making pie dough.  I had had a failure that even the chickens wouldn't eat.  It was either too soggy, would fall apart, or be ridiculously tough.   She chuckled, got up, and began rifling through her legions of cookbooks and recipe cards.  Grandma had recipes everywhere.  She would write them on note papers, envelopes, brown paper bags, whatever surface was handy.  What looked to be a mix mash  was an organized system that worked  well for her.  She pulled out a recipe card with bold writing that said "NO FAIL PIE DOUGH" and handed it to me with the words "I was given this recipe a few years ago.  I wish I had had it sooner.  Pie dough makes me crazy.  Even your grandfather can make this, try it."    That was high praise indeed.  Before Grandma went blind, she was the master chef in the household.  Grandpa had to learn all Grandma's tricks when she couldn't see well enough. 

I went home and made a batch.  It was amazing!  No holes, or rips. One batch made enough for 2, two crust pies or 4, one crust pies.   It didn't fall apart on the board, you could pick it up and handle it, mold the crust in interesting designs,  put it in the 'fridge  for up to a week, or freeze it up to 2 months.   This pie dough has been my standard and one of Hubby's favorites for many years. 

No Fail Pie Dough

4 cups flour

1 3/4 cups Crisco

2 Tbsp sugar

1 Tbsp vinegar**

1 egg

pinch of salt

1/2 c COLD water

Mix first 4 ingredients.  In a mixing cup, beat water with vinegar, egg, and salt.  Add to flour mixture and blend with a fork (or fingers) until all dry ingredients are moistened.  Mold dough into a ball and chill for 15 min in the fridge.  (I have made pies, skipping the 'fridge step, and it didn't make any difference.)

Cut into quarters and roll out on a floured board.  Can be stored in the 'fridge up to 2 weeks in an oiled, ziplock bag, or frozen up to 2 months.

**I have been told that you can substitute cognac for the vinegar and the crust has a richer taste.

The excess crust can be made into "Bird's Nests".  Take the extra crust and roll out the bits.  Can be in any shape or size.    Sprinkle cinnamon sugar on the crust and roll it.  Bake on a cookie sheet for 5-7 minutes.  Yummy little mouthfulls!

My in-laws Anniversary is the day after Thanksgiving.  The year that they celebrated their 50th Anniversary, we came up with the idea of having a "Pie Party".  There were 50 pies at the celebration, and a buffet that was one of the most delicious I have ever seen.  There are 5 children in Hubby's family and the centerpiece was a pie stand with one pie from each family with a centerpiece on the very top. 

 Holidays or not, pie crust is not a problem,  break out the rolling pin and the flour.  If that's too much, there are crustless pies, frozen pies, graham cracker crust pies, or just call me!  We can whip one up in no time, but be warned, hubby will want some too! 

This week's recipes are all pie recipes.  There is no weekly menu as it's Thanksgiving week....it's all about the Bird...(and pie!)  Recipes with ***following can be found in the Pages section.

Crustless Coconut Cream Pie***

Green Tomato Mincemeat Pie***(My granddad's favorite and heirloom recipe)

Strawberry Pie***

Chocolate Cream Pie***