Thanksgiving Pies
Thanksgiving Pies
Making the Crust
Makes one 9-inch pie crust (double if you want a top crust)
Ingredients:
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold butter, cubed
- 3 tablespoons ice water, or more as needed
Directions:
Start with a bowl filled with and create a well within the flour to put the CHILLED butter in the center cut into small 1/2-inch cubes. Place this bowl into the freezer for 5-10 min.
I personally mix with my hands, but if you want the food processor that works two! "Cut" or "rub" in the butter to the flour. Use the heels of your hands, and make the surface of the butter completely covered in flour. The idea is to flatten the butter into big shards. Continue to toss the butter in with the flour as you work to re-coat the shingled pieces.
Once you have finished this make a new well and add the ice water in the center. start with 3 Tbl and add 1 as you mix. You want your dough to hold together but not be sticky. Wrap the dough and chill it in the fridge for an hour or so.
Clean a surface on your counter and lightly dust with flour, take dough from fridge, let it sit on the surface for a minute or two, and begin to roll it out. Don't over roll! Do just enough to get it 1/8 inch thick.
**Tips and Tricks**
- everything must be cold, the butter, your hands, the ice water!
- If your hands are naturally warm, use a food processor
- You can even chill the flour and bowl if it is summer and your house is hot!
Apple Pie
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 1/2 pounds of apples, peeled and cored, and then cut into small wedges (6-8 mixed apples)
- 1/4 tsp ground "all spice" or "cake spice" that I always speak about
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup + 1 tbl of sugar
- 2 Tbl flour
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 1-2 pee dough(s)
- 1 egg lightly beaten with tsp milk
Directions:
- Melt butter in a large saute pan set over medium-high heat and add apples to the pan. Stir to coat fruit with butter and cook, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, whisk together the spices, salt and 3/4 cup sugar, and sprinkle this over the pan, stirring to combine. Lower heat and cook until apples have started to soften, approximately 5-7 minutes. Sprinkle the flour and cornstarch over the apples and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, another 3 to 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat, add cider vinegar, stir and scrape fruit mixture into a bowl and allow to cool completely. (The fruit mixture will cool faster if spread out on a rimmed baking sheet.)
- Place a large baking sheet on the middle rack of oven and preheat to 425. Remove one ball of dough from the refrigerator and, using a pin, roll it out on a lightly floured surface until it is roughly 12 inches in diameter. Fit this crust into a 9-inch pie plate, trimming it to leave a .5-inch overhang. Place this plate, with the dough, in the freezer.
- Roll other ball of dough out, and cut to your choice of design on top of the apple pie. See below for directions on cutting the leaves.
- Remove pie crust from freezer and put the cooled pie filling into it. Cover with remaining dough. Press the edges together, trim the excess, then crimp the edges with the tines of a fork. Using a sharp knife, cut three or four steam vents in the top of the crust. Lightly brush the top of the pie with egg wash and sprinkle with remaining tablespoon of sugar.
- Place pie in oven and bake on hot baking sheet for 20 minutes, then reduce temperature to 375. Continue to cook until the interior is bubbling and the crust is golden brown, about 30 to 40 minutes more. Remove and allow to cool on a windowsill or kitchen rack, about two hours.
once you have rolled the dough, begin to cut small leaves in a curved motion, use a cookie cutter if that makes you more comfortable. Use a small sharp knife to add details. Layer bottom to top, starting at the edge and working your way in.
Pecan Pie
Click here-- for the link to my Southern Bourbon Pecan Pie recipe from last year... this year I added a braided crust to make it extra yummy!
Braiding the crust!
roll out one of the crusts in a long and narrow shape, and cut into 6-9 lines about 3/4 of an inch thick. Line 3 up, and braid like you would hair (diagram below.) Make 2-3 depending on how long your dough is, place in the fridge/freezer for 7-10 min to firm up. Cut edges, and lay along the edge of the crust, after pouring filling in. Manipulate them to lay nicely around it in what looks like a complete circle, placing each over each other. Make sure while braiding you keep them a consistent size, and direction, so the entire pie crust is even.
Thanksgiving 2016 Pecan Pie Crust
Pie Crust Turkeys
To use up any left over crust, and give the kids at the holidays a treat, roll out the leftover and cut with a cookie cutter into whatever your preferred shape is. Melt 1 Tbl of butter, brush on, and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar!
