Our Attempt to End-the-Anxiety of Basic Pastry and Pie Crusts We found the following reliable and easy to prepare when you follow these step-by-step methods if you are having trouble with pastry and pie recipes: Butter vs. Shortening Although many people think that crusts made with shortening are flakier. We believe this is true only when they've just been baked. As soon as the shortening crust cools and sit for a while, it loses its crispness and it always lacks the extraordinary flavor of butter. If butter crust are made correctly, they are wonderfully flaky and crisp and rich in taste. |
Mixing by Hand 1. Sift the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl or place them directly in the bowl and stir them around with a whisk. 2. Mix all liquid ingedients together in a cup and add an ice cube. 3. Cut the butter (make sure butter is cold) into 8 pieces per stick and distribute them evenly over the dry ingredients. Use both thumbs and forefingers to rub the butter into the flour mixture or cut it in with a pastry cutter. Continue until the mixture resembles coarse meal. 4. Remove ice cube from the liquid and sprinkle the liquid over the dry ingredients while tossing them with a fork to distibute the moisture. When the dough can be gathered into a ball, it should be worked no longer. Rolling the Dough 1. When the dough is the right consistency, gather it into a mass with your hands and place it on a lightly floured surface. Knead it several times with the heel of your palm so that it holds together. 2. Form the dough into a chubby disk. Wrap the disk in plastic and chill for 1 hour. Doughs that contain sugar, often can be rolled out right away. 3. When the dough is chilled, and you are making patties or other small fruit/meat tarts cut the dough into small pieces as suggested in recipe and roll each piece evenly, always beggining each roll at the center. Roll the pin outward, each time in a different direction. Lift the rolling pin after each roll. Don't roll the pin back and forth. If making a pie place the chill dough between two large (18 to 20 inches long) pieces of plastic wrap or waxed paper, and roll it out with a rolling pin. (It may be necessary to overlap pieces of plastic wrap or waxed paper to make them large enough.) Roll as instructed in the above paragraph. Note: Keep in mind that there is no such thing as an ugly pie/pastry crust--imperfections are what gives them distinction. However, a pretty edge (forked edge is most popular) is a must for a well-turned-out tart or pie. As with anything to do with pastry, once you get it, it's as easy as pie. |