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RECIPES |
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Pie crust tends to brown much more quickly at the edges of the pie than the top, which can make the edges taste bitter. (And when baked properly I believe the edges to be the best part of the pie). Some people cover the edges of their pies with strips of foil, which is extremely difficult to handle and exasperating. We use Mrs. Anderson's Pie Crust Shield , which is a simple but ingenious ring of aluminum that sits gently over the crust during the baking of your pie. You can find it in many catalogs and probably in specialty shops.
You will need a 9-inch Pyrex pie plate, a pastry cutter and a rolling pin.
American Pie Crust
2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup shortening
5-6 tablespoons cold water
Stir together flour and salt in large bowl. Cut in the shortening until pieces are the size of small peas. Sprinkle cold water one tablespoon at a time over dry portions of the flour mixture, gently tossing with a fork, and pushing moist dough to the side of the bowl, until the dough is moistened enough to stick well together. Divide the dough in half. Form each half into a ball.
On a lightly floured surface, flatten one ball of dough with your hands. With a floured rolling pin, roll the dough from center to edges, forming a circle. (If it isn't a perfect circle, you can trim and patch it as necessary). Fold the dough circle in half and unfold it gently into a 9-inch pie plate. Trim the pastry even with the rim of the pie plate.
Reserve the remaining ball of dough to be rolled out for the top crust after the filling is made.
Apple Pie
5 very large golden delicious apples (6 or 7 if they are not large)
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1 pinch salt
2 tablespoons butter
Pastry for double-crust pie as shown above
Combine peeled, cored and sliced apples with sugar, flour, and salt. Stir to coat. Pour into the unbaked bottom crust. Dot with butter.
Roll out the top crust. Cover pie with top crust. Trim crust to about 1/2 to 3/4 inch beyond pie plate rim. Pierce steam-slits with the point of a knife. Flute edges securely. This takes some practice, but essentially you fold the edges of the bigger top crust down to meet the bottom smaller crust and pinch them to seal them together while at the same time building the crust up and fluting it with your thumb. Place pie crust shield lightly over the fluted rim of the pie.
Bake at 375 for about 45-50 minutes, until the top of the pie is lightly colored.
Eat slightly warm, at room temperature or chilled.
Cherry Pie
2 (16 oz.) cans tart pitted cherries, undrained (Lucky Leaf is good).
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon cornstarch (precise, please)
scant 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup additional sugar
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Pastry for double-crust pie as shown above
Drain the cherries, reserving 1 cup juice. Set the cherries aside.
Combine cornstarch and 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon of the cherry juice in small bowl or cup. Stir with a knife until the cornstarch is dissolved. You will use this slurry to thicken the filling later.
Combine 3/4 cup sugar and the cinnamon in a medium saucepan. Stir remaining cherry juice into the sugar. Stir occasionally over medium-high heat until it starts to boil in the center. Stir in your cornstarch slurry and continue to stir constantly over medium-high heat. The mixture will thicken soon. (It may appear to have lumps when it starts to thicken, but these will disappear and you may whisk the mixture if you wish). When the mixture is smooth and thickened, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the additional 1/2 cup sugar, the butter, the almond extract and the cherries. Pour into the unbaked bottom crust.
Roll out the top crust. Cover pie with top crust. Trim crust to about 1/2 to 3/4 inch beyond pie plate rim. Pierce steam-slits with the point of a knife. Trim and crimp as for apple pie. Use pie crust shield. Bake at 425 for 45 to 55 minutes, or until golden brown. Good served slightly warm, room temperature or chilled, but this pie will fall apart for the impatient who attacks it still hot.
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