# I stink at pies. Can anyone help?



## mma800 (May 7, 2012)

I love to bake....cakes, cookies, breads, etc.

But pies are my Achilles heel. I often cheat with store bought crusts or mixes and the results are not very good.
Please send along your best advice for one crust and two crust pies and any recipes I can work on. My family loves apple, cherry, blueberry, chocolate cream, lemon meringue etc.
Winter is only half way thru and I would love to practice and get it right before the summer fruits are here!

Thanks (from my family as well!)


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## PackerBacker (Dec 13, 2012)

Any pie that isn't made with a from scratch crust is an epic fail. :cheers:

Lard, salt, flour and water is all you need.

My favorite filling is beef, potato, onion, garlic and butter.


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## SouthCentralUS (Nov 11, 2012)

One Tbspn vinegar in the crust.


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## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

I hate to make a pie crust ... :gaah:

So I make a pie that makes its own ...

Impossible Pumpkin Pie

2 cups pumpkin puree (or 1 can pumpkin)
1 large can evaporated milk
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup biscuit baking mix (see homemade mix thread )
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground allspice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9 inch pie pan.

2.In a medium mixing bowl, combine pumpkin, milk, sugar, baking mix, melted butter, eggs, allspice, cinnamon, cloves, and vanilla extract. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, until mixture is smooth. Pour mixture into pan.

3.Bake in preheated oven for 50 to 55 minutes, until set in center. Allow to cool before serving.

Edit to add bisquick link ... http://www.preparedsociety.com/forum/f36/bisquick-homemade-4284/


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## thenance007 (Oct 8, 2012)

Try one of the no-fail crusts from Allrecipes like this one. Any that have vinegar and/or egg will never be tough. The fat and water should be very cold. You can make the crust in seconds in a food processor if you add half the fat, zap it till it is like peas, then add the other half and do the same. That way, you have some of the fat blended to cornmeal consistency which will make it tender, and the other half pea size will flatten and make nice flakey layers. Then dump it in a bowl. When you add the water, just toss it together with a couple of forks, then mash it together--don't knead it or work it too much. Let it sit in the fridge for 10 minutes or so, to allow the flour to absorb the liquid, but not long enough that it gets hard. 

Here is one, but there are many on Allrecipes--I love to read the reviews on that site and adjust my recipe or instructions accordingly.

No Fail Pie Crust II
from Allrecipes.com	

Submitted By: Molly

4 pie crusts

"Lard, baking powder, and vinegar combine with flour, water, and an egg to create the perfect dough for a tender, flaky pie crust. This easy recipe makes four roll-out-like-a-dream crusts."
Ingredients:
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 2/3 cups lard

1/2 cup water
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
Directions:
1. In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut in lard until mixture resembles coarse meal.
2. In a small bowl, mix together water, egg, and vinegar. Pour into lard mixture and stir until dough is thoroughly moistened and forms a ball. Divide into 4 portions and wrap tightly. Use dough within three days or freeze.


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## MsSage (Mar 3, 2012)

I use to suck at pie crusts too till I tried a baked apple pie in the apple from pinterest
The crust is awesome

1 cup flour
1/2 C corn starch 
1 Tblsp sugar
6 2/3 Tblsp butter
1 egg
1/4 tsp baking powder

mix the dry then crumble in the butter till a ball form Roll out flat and put in fridge till chilled then cut in whatever shape you want. 
Hope this helps


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## Meerkat (May 31, 2011)

We read in a recipe book to substitute half the water in the crust with vodka.
We tried it it works great.we use crisco,water vodka,salt and sugar if making fruit pies.If you try this,you won't need the vinegar.

The vodka stops it from sticking to roller pin and makes flakey crust.


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## kyredneck (Aug 12, 2012)

PackerBacker said:


> Any pie that isn't made with a from scratch crust is an epic fail. :cheers:
> 
> Lard, salt, flour and water is all you need.
> 
> My favorite filling is beef, potato, onion, garlic and butter.


Well? Is this all you're going to tell me? I need more details than this; is this a 'shepherd's pie' per chance? Tell me more please. 

I wanna know how to make that crust too....


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## PackerBacker (Dec 13, 2012)

kyredneck said:


> Well? Is this all you're going to tell me? I need more details than this; is this a 'shepherd's pie' per chance? Tell me more please.
> 
> I wanna know how to make that crust too....


Pasty. (PassT) It's a throw back to the mining days around here.

We use 1 pint canned beef, 1 pint canned potatoes (and/or rutabaga is better yet) and either presauteed onion or 1/2 pint canned onions. Fresh garlic and some butter.

Pie crust:

1 cup flour, 1/2 cup cold lard and a pinch of salt.

Cut the three together with a pastry cutter until it looks "pebbley".

Stir hard and add a _small_ amount of cold water until it all sticks together and makes a ball.

Cool in fridge for 1/2 an hour or longer.

That's one crust.

Bake in a 10" cast iron pan or double the amount for a 12" cast iron pan.

We only put the crust on top in order to cut the carbs some.

Done. Easy as pie.


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## Magus (Dec 1, 2008)

I suck at pies too.make fried pies/turnovers.


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## fondini (Mar 18, 2012)

In the true spirit of community, pm me for my address and I will taste test pies for everyone!
Just doing my part to help out.


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## NaeKid (Oct 17, 2008)

I posted up some of my recipes in this section already ... found the link.

http://www.preparedsociety.com/forum/f36/canadian-thanksgiving-2012-a-14057/


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## kappydell (Nov 27, 2011)

I had a hard time with pies, too - my crusts were terrible until I found this one - perfect almost every time and easy to roll out, too.

NO FAIL PIE CRUST (makes 4 9-inchers)
1 TB sugar
4 to 4 1/2 c flour
3 tsp salt
1 TB vinegar
1/2 c water
1 egg
1 3/4 c shortening (lard, Crisco solid, even cheap no-name margarine works very well)
Sift flour, sugar and salt in large bowl. Beat egg, add water and vinetar to egg and set aside. Cut shortening info flour mixture very well, until it looks like small crumbles. Sprinkle in egg mixture, mix well. Divide in 4 parts, gathering each into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap or put in a zip lock, and chill in refrigerator at least 30 min before rolling. Makes 4 crusts, can be divided into 4 parts, and frozen for later use. Keeps 2 weeks in refrigerator. Rolls out nicely, tastes excellent.

CRUMBLY TOPPING FOR FRUIT PIES (French or Dutch Type)
¾ c flour ½ c cold, hard margarine
½ c sugar 
Cut together like pie crust until crumbly. Use to top fruit pies. Especially good on apple, cherry or peach pies. Lower in calories and fat than a regular crust, but tastes much sweeter. (Takes care of messing with a top crust - mine always boiled over, or burned. )

This one set of recipes made me famous for my pies. I now suck at cakes (they fall or are very dry) instead. Good thing I mastered bread.


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