Perfect Pie Crust

There are two key components to making perfect pie crust:  shortening and resting.  To make a perfect pie crust, you must choose the right shortening for the crust and allow the dough to rest for a minimum of thirty minutes before rolling it out.  For a savory pie crust, you need a combination of lard and butter (or butter flavored Crisco) that works well with meat pies, poultry pies, etc.  For a sweet pie crust, you simply add a tiny bit of sugar to enhance the flavor of the filling.  My perfect combination for a crust is butter flavored Crisco and lard straight from the fridge (it is very cold).  Always use ice water.  You can do a decent pie crust by hand but I prefer to use my Kitchenaide with the dough hook.  Have a bowl set aside for the dough to rest (in the fridge).

Tips for rolling out dough:  if you have a granite or granite-type countertop, that's the surface you want.  A granite rolling pin is a plus.  If you have neither, put a linen on your countertop and roll out your pie dough on that.  Have your pie plate ready too.

Pie Crust
3 cups of unbleached all-purpose flour
3 tbl. of lard
3 tbl. of butter flavored Crisco
ice water (1/2 to 1 cup)
pinch of salt

Sift flour into mixing bowl.  Using dough hook, add lard and salt, pulsing until the dough is crumbly.  Add ice water by pouring into top of machine until the dough no longer sticks to the side of the mixing bowl.  Stop pulsing as soon as it reaches that stage.  Put the dough into the resting bowl, cover with plastic wrap and allow to chill for at least thirty minutes.  Cut the dough in half to roll out and put the rest back in the fridge.

Knead the dough with your hands for about a minute (the heat from your hands will make the gluten in the dough develop nicely).  Roll out and put on the pie plate.  If making a savory pie, put in your meat or poultry filling, dot with butter and roll out and cover the pie.  Most meat pies bake at around 400F for 30 to 45 minutes.  If making a dessert pie, roll out your dough, fill it, roll out second crust and cover.  Sprinkle the top of the pie with granulated sugar before baking.  Most dessert pies bake at around 375F (unless using apples or a firm fruit).  for 30 to 45 minutes.  Remember to vent the top of your crust by poking with a fork or a knife before cooking.  Most chefs brush the top of the pie crust before baking with either a mixture of egg (white or yolk) and water; cream or half and half, etc.  Be creative!!!

If you have time to make your own, here's the recipe for cherry filling...

Cherry Filling
4 to 5 cups of fresh cherries, pitted
1 cup of turbinado sugar (bar sugar)
2 tbl. of cornstarch
1/2 tsp. of extract (your choice:  raspberry; vanilla; almond, etc.)

Put cherries and sugar in a small saucepan and simmer over lowest possible heat until liquid develops.  Take some of the hot liquid and mix in a bowl with the cornstarch until you get a smooth paste.  Put that back into the cherry filling with the extract and shut off heat after mixing well.  Allow your filling to get to room temperature before making your pie.  I usually run this filling through a strainer to remove any unwanted pits or peels.