More of this Feature • Part 2: Forming The Pie Crust • Part 3: The Recipes

Join the Discussion "Guess what? I can make pie crusts!" Joyce

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Making pastry is an integral part of being a good cook. Yet many people are intimidated by scratch pastry recipes, and resort to packaged mixes or refrigerated prepared crusts. Those products are just fine, but pie pastry is easy and every cook can learn how to make the scratch recipes. When there are no convenience products in your pantry or fridge, but you have pie crust know-how, flour, eggs and cheese, you can whip up a quiche in less than an hour.

There are some rules to pastry making - and some I break constantly. For instance, most pie crust recipes use the cold water method. But in an old cookbook I found a recipe for a hot water pastry that is very easy and really foolproof. And I have a recipe for a pie crust that uses oil instead of solid shortening, and another that uses cream cheese.

For more traditional crusts, there are some rules to follow. All ingredients should really be ice cold. It doesn’t matter if you use lard, solid vegetable shortening, or butter - just follow your taste. (Incidentally, did you know scientists have discovered that lard isn’t as bad for you as once thought?) Keep a few ice cubes in the water you sprinkle over the pastry. Have patience while you cut the shortening in to the dry ingredients. It will all come together. And don’t handle it too much. Working the dough causes gluten to form - that flour protein that is so desirable in bread, but makes pastries tough. Don’t be too concerned about how the pastry looks. If it tears, just patch it. And practice! The more crusts you make, the easier it will be.

Follow the recipe carefully. Spoon the flour lightly into the measuring cup - don’t scoop it out with the measuring cup, and don’t pack it. You can reduce the amount of salt called for if sodium intake is a concern. ‘Cut in’ means to work the shortening into the dry ingredients by pulling two knives or a pastry blender across the shortening, breaking it up into smaller and smaller pieces. One recipe I came across called for cutting in 2/3 of the shortening until the texture of the mixture is like corn meal, to make the pastry tender. Then cut in remainder of the shortening until the texture of the mixture is like large peas. As you sprinkle the cold water over the shortening-flour mixture, toss quickly and lightly with a fork, until the particles stick together when gently pressed. Then gather up the pieces of dough and form into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate.

Let's continue with rolling and forming the pie crust. And at this end of this article, you’ll find links to some wonderful pie recipes you can tackle with confidence, now that you are a pastry expert.

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