Making your own homemade pie crust
I have never understood why there is so much fear and anxiety surrounding the preparation of homemade piecrust. When I worked at a food magazine, dealing with piecrust hysteria was always a major part of the holiday issues. Will it be flaky enough? Tender enough? Will it get soggy? If I over-process it for .02 seconds longer than I am supposed to, will it be hopelessly tough and a complete waste of my time?
Everyone just needs to relax. Deep breaths, y鈥檃ll.
Am I saying this from a place of wise and practiced comfort with the art of pie making? Umm鈥鈥檓 24 and I鈥檝e made exactly one piecrust in my life. And guess what? It was fine.
My first pie making experience was last week when Mom and I were testing a recipe for this site, actually. Mom offered to make the crust 鈥� she鈥檚 Southern, so let鈥檚 just say her comfort level with cutting cold fat into flour is high (her biscuits rock!). But I insisted that I needed to do it myself so that I could A. learn, and B. figure out what all the fuss is about.
We got the butter, shortening, and cream cheese really cold. (Her crust uses all three鈥y, my, hips, you鈥檙e looking awfully wide today. But apparently the cream cheese makes it more forgiving.) We got the dry ingredients all measured out, and the ice water prepped. The whole process took approximately 10 minutes and we made enough dough for the pie we made that day, the pies we鈥檒l make for Thanksgiving, and any last minute pie cravings that might sneak up on us during the Christmas season.
Yes, we had a food processor, and she was watching over my shoulder the whole time, but I am here to tell you鈥here is life on the other side. You, too, can make your own piecrust.
The rest of our pie was a cinch. We cooked down the apples with vanilla, cinnamon, sugar, and a little brandy (yesss!), and we made a quick crumb topping 鈥� because I find double crust pies a bit heavy and way less attractive.
So, was my crust sheer, buttery perfection? I don鈥檛 even know because the warm apples and crispy crumble topping kept distracting me. But the whole pie was incredible. And I was proud of my crust! It wasn鈥檛 tough or soggy and it held up well under the filling.
Give this pie a shot, but if you鈥檙e really stressing about the crust part, I鈥檒l tell you a not-so secret. The great and powerful Pam Anderson has officially endorsed the use of Pillsbury refrigerated pie dough.
Cooking for the holidays should be fun. So, if the thought of making your own crust is giving you ulcers, skip it! But if you feel even vaguely drawn to the idea of doing it 鈥� go for it! Who cares if you screw up? Theoretically, everyone sitting around the table loves you鈥xcept maybe your mother-in-law. So, just pile more ice cream on top. Trust me, no one will care.
Sharon Anderson blogs with her mother and sister at .
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Read the related recipe for Perfect apple crumble pie, here.
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