Perfect Flaky Pie Crust

This was my second time making pie crust from scratch. The first time was when I made a chocolate cream pie for Fathers' Day. That experience wasn't so pleasant. I didn't add enough water at first, and the pastry ripped into a million pieces when I tried to move it into the pie plate. Needless to say, I did not approach my second attempt with high expectations. Luck must have been on my side, though, because I did a pretty awesome job! Four tablespoons of water wasn't quite enough for my pie dough. I added about 2 extra tablespoons to get it to come together but still be crumbly. In doing this, I guess I overworked the dough a bit. Once the pie was cooked you could tell the crust had a weird crunch to it. But it tasted GREAT! I definitely recommend this crust recipe over the one I used in the chocolate cream pie. The #1 thing to remember when making pie dough is KEEP IT COLD!! (Even if you have to turn your AC on during the winter. Don't you want a nice pie? That's what I thought!)

First, measure your flour by weight for best results. Mix dry ingredients together with your fingers... or a whisk, but I like to get involved!

Add the cold butter first.

Work it in with a pastry blender until the pieces are about the size of peas.

Add the cold shortening second because it melts faster.

The mixture should look like this.

Add the water all at once and mix quickly until it forms a ball when you squeeze it.

Shape it into a disk and seal it up in plastic wrap.

When it's nice and cold, get ready to roll.

Roll it out to 12" and trim the edges.

Make sure the dough is well floured. Roll it lightly around the rolling pin and transfer to a pie plate.

I did't have much overhang, so I just crimped it with a fork.

And TADA!! That's it! If you're afraid to make your own pie crust, just try it once. Please! If it doesn't work out... oh well, that's what Pillsbury is for! :)

Flaky Pie Pastry from Williams-Sonoma: Essentials of Baking
MAKES PASTRY FOR ONE 9-INCH (23-CM) PIE

For single-crust pie
5 tablespoons (2 1/2 oz/75 g) cold unsalted butter
3 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening
1 1/3 cups (7 oz/220 g) all-purpose (plain) flour
1 tablespoon sugar (optional)
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons (2 fI oz/60 ml) ice water

For lattice-crust pie
1/2 cup (4 oz/125 g) cold unsalted butter
4 tablespoons (2 oz/60 g) cold vegetable shortening
2 cups (10 oz/315 g) all-purpose (plain) flour
4 teaspoons sugar (optional)
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (3 fI oz/90 ml) ice water

For double-crust pie
2/3 cup (5 oz/155 g) cold unsalted butter
6 tablespoons (3 oz/90 g) cold vegetable shortening
2 2/3 cups (13 1/2 oz/425 g) all-purpose (plain) flour
2 tablespoons sugar (optional)
8 tablespoons (4 fI oz/125 ml) ice water

Cut the butter and vegetable shortening into 3/4-inch (2-cm) pieces.
BY HAND: In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt and stir to mix. Scatter the butter and shorten­ing pieces over the flour mixture.
Using a fork, toss to coat with the flour. Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in the butter and short­ening until the mixture forms large, coarse crumbs the size of large peas. Drizzle the ice water over the mixture and toss with the fork until the dough is evenly moist and begins to come together in a mass but does not form a ball.

BY FOOD PROCESSOR: Combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Pulse 2 or
3 times to mix. Add the butter and shortening pieces and pulse 8-10 times until the mixture forms large, coarse crumbs the size of large peas. Add the ice water a little at a time and pulse 10-12 times just until the dough begins to come together in a mass but does not form a ball.

BY STAND MIXER: In the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Mix on low speed until blended, about 10 seconds. Turn off the mixer, add the butter and shortening, and then continue mixing on low speed just until the mixture forms large, coarse crumbs the size of large peas, about 20 seconds. Add the ice water 1 tablespoon at a time, and mix on low speed just until the mixture begins to hold together, about 20 seconds. The dough will form large clumps and pull away from
the sides of the bowl, but will not form a ball. To test, stop the mixer and squeeze a small piece of dough; it should hold together.
Transfer the dough to a work surface. If making the single-crust pie pastry, shape the dough into a 6-inch (15-cm) disk. For the lattice pie, divide the dough into 2 portions, one twice as large as the other; shape the larger portion into a 6-inch (15-cm) disk and the smaller one into a 3-inch (7.5-cm) disk. For the double-crust pie, divide the dough in half and form each half into a 6-inch (15-cm) disk. Wrap each disk tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled, about 1 hour or for up to overnight.

• The rich flavor of butter and the flake-making quality of vegetable shortening produce a pie pastry that is both versatile and delicious. The butter and shortening should be very cold so that they will form the layers in the crust that contribute to the overall flakiness. Use ice water for the liquid to ensure that the shortening and butter do not soften during mixing.
• If you are making a savory pie, such as a quiche or savory galette, omit the sugar.
• To use up your dough scraps, press them together and roll them out again into a long, narrow rectangle. Brush the surface with softened butter and sprinkle it with cinnamon sugar. Working from a long side, roll up the rectangle into a log, then cut crosswise into slices 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick. Place the slices in a pan and bake alongside the pie. They are ready when the pastry is golden brown and the sugar starts to caramelize in the pan.

Chocolate Cream Pie

This pie was not suggested to me, but it is the highest rated chocolate pie on Allrecipes.com (yeah, I went back to it anyway). It was really good, and my dad LOVED it as the second half of his Fathers Day gift. I, however, think the chocolate filling was a bit too sweet. It was almost like really soft fudge. If you have a serious sweet tooth and love chocolate, then this is the pie for you! I'm gonna keep searching for a lighter, smoother chocolate pie.

The pie crust is a whole other story! I decided to be brave and make my own, instead of doing what I would usually do and get one of those refrigerated roll-out crusts. I chose the highest rated recipe for flaky pie crust on Allrecipes.com (Although you guys did suggest some great recipes; I even bookmarked a few!). The first time I made it, I didn't pulse it enough in the food processor. When I rolled it out it kept cracking and ripping. And when I tried to put it into the pie pan.... all hell broke loose. The crust ripped into an unsalvageable mess. I slammed the rolling pin down on the table, forcefully threw the crust into the trash, slammed every cabinet in my kitchen putting all the ingredients away, and almost began to cry... I met my match! I couldn't make a pie crust! After standing in the kitchen for 5 minutes just staring into nothing, I pulled myself together and decided to try again. This time I brought my boyfriend, Josh, into the kitchen to help keep me calm. I pulsed the dough in the food processor until it came together as a ball. That was the trick (Why I didn't do that in the first place, God only knows)! This time the pie crust rolled out perfectly, and when I put it into the pie pan it only ripped where I had folded it. I easily mended that with some scraps from the edges. I think I rolled it too thin though. I still haven't gotten the hang of that. My sugar cookies always come out so flat because I roll the dough paper thin! Anyway, after all the muss and fuss here is the pie I produced!

Ingredients for pie crust, simple enough.But I can't follow directions, so the first attempt was a failure.

Let the dough come together as a ball!

Then wrap it in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

Roll it out into a circle (I could only get a rectangle shape, haha like I said I haven't gotten the hang of rolling out dough yet). Trim to about 1 inch larger than your pie plate.

Ingredients for chocolate filling.
Whisk together the dry stuff.

Add the wet stuff and heat until butter is melted.

Pour chocolate mixture into unbaked pie shell (filling will be thin).

Bake until filling is BARELY wobbly when shaken.

Top with a generous portion of whipped cream!

Dad gets the first slice!

Flaky Pie Crust
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening, chilled
3 tablespoons ice water

(I changed the directions to exactly how I did it. For original instructions, click the link at the top of the entry.) Combine flour, salt, and shortening in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until shortening is the size of oatmeal. Add 3 tablespoons of water and pulse until the dough forms a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and form it into a disk. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Working with a floured rolling pin on a well-floured surface, roll the dough into a circle slightly larger than your pie plate. Gently invert your pie plate onto the dough. Using a pizza cutter or pastry wheel trim the dough about 1 inch larger than your pie plate. Fold the dough into fourths and place the corner in the center of the pie plate. Unfold the dough and gently mold it into the pan. Prick the bottom and sides with a fork. Pour filling in and bake according to pie directions.

Chocolate Cream Pie
2 cups white sugar
5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 egg yolks
1/4 cup butter

Meringue topping (optional) (I topped my cooled pie with whipped cream instead)
4 egg whites
1/4 cup white sugar

Whipped cream
2/3-1 cup heavy cream (depending on how much whipped cream you like on your pie)
2 Tbsp confectioners sugar
1/2-1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a saucepan, whisk together 2 cups sugar, cocoa and flour. Blend in evaporated milk and vanilla. Beat egg yolks, and stir into pan. Add the butter or margarine. Heat, stirring constantly just until butter is melted. Pour filling into unbaked pie shell (recipe above).
Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until pie is not "wobbly" when shaken (Mine was slightly wobbly after 40 minutes, but it firmed when it cooled).
For meringue topping, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add 1/4 cup sugar, beating constantly, until stiff peaks form. Spread meringue on pie.
Return pie to oven, and bake until meringue is golden.
For whipped cream, beat heavy cream, confectioners sugar, and vanilla extract with a mixer on high speed until desired thickness; Do not overbeat or it will turn into butter! Spread onto cooled pie. Top with grated chocolate.