pie crust in the kitchen aid

I'm all business today.
I'm sure that there is a lot to talk about if we get started. But I promised you pie crust. Really I did. And although I'm learning that as a political candidate, rule number one is DON'T MAKE PROMISES!, in the world of food and rolling pins, promises are really okay.

I'm starting with the best pie crust, because really, I'm not so big on build-ups. If you don't have a kitchen aid, I'll do a few other crusts in the next week or two, but if you've got one, then you can just stop here.

Of course, there is a chance that this crust might not be for you. If you really like the feeling of mastery over cutting butter into flour, of knowing just when the crust won't crumble, then keep working with your pastry blender. If your pie crust making is peppered by spaced out daydreams of of being an french pastry chef in the days before whirring gadgets (okay, okay, that actually is me once in awhile), then this crust is not for you.
This crust is the one if you just want to make the damn pie already. It is absolutely predictable, and you barely have to use your brain at all. It is easy to roll out, and ends up light and flaky. It comes together in a few steps, with hardly any active time.

This morning I was dropping Rosie off at her friend Petra's house for the day. Petra's mom is a bit of a pie crust whiz, and I mentioned that I needed to get home to finally get this pie crust post going. "Just make sure you talk about how easy pie crust is," she said. "I don't think people really get that!" And how does Petra's mom make her pie crust? You guessed it. Whir, whir, whir.


Are you ready? Should we do this thing? Would you like to make the damn pie crust already?

Okay! Ingredients. I make pie crust with butter. Always. And for pie crust, I buy special butter. Not always, but when I can. It has a higher fat content, and comes across the ocean from Europe, where apparently the butter comes from fatter cows. It arrives in a satisfying block, and it's called Plugra. It looks like this.

If you don't use fancy butter, just make sure that you use unsalted butter.
Then there's the flour. I use King Arthur all purpose. It works for me. I don't recommend using whole wheat flour unless you are making something savory, like a quiche, and even then, if you really want some whole wheat in there, I'd suggest you use 1/3 to a 1/2 whole wheat flour.
Besides that there is salt. Fine sea salt, or whatever you've got as long as it's not too coarse.
Then you need an acid, and in this recipe it's apple cider vinegar. If you don't have that, you can use white distilled vinegar.


Plug in that kitchen aid. Put on the white beater attachment. Here we go.

Pie Crust in the Kitchen Aid
adapted from Shirley Corriher, Bakewise

You will need:

11 ounces (2 1/2 cups) all-purpose flour
8 ounces cold unsalted butter
1/3 cup water
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 tablespoon unseasoned bread crumbs


Cut the butter into 1/2 inch squares. Throw it into the mixer bowl with the flour. Put the bowl into the refrigerator. In a measuring cup, combine the water, vinegar, and salt. Put that in the refrigerator, too. Walk away for a few minutes.
Affix the bowl to the mixer. Using the lowest speed, mix for about 30 seconds, until the mixture looks crumbly, like this:


Then slowly add the cold water/ vinegar, and mix until the dough comes together in a ball, like this:

Divide the dough into two balls, and wrap in plastic. Press down into discs.


Refrigerate for at least an hour, but up to two days. You can also through the discs into a freezer bag and freeze at this point.

Take the dough out of the fridge, and place on a well floured surface. Roll out from the center, turning the dough as you go.


Butter your 9 inch pie dish. Sprinkle the bottom with the tablespoon of breadcrumbs. Roll the dough out so that it's something like a circle, big enough to spread over your dish. Fold your crust into quarters, like this:

Place the corner in the center of the pie dish, and then unfold the crust. Press out any air bubbles, and fold over the top of the crust if there is extra. Patch any holes with excessive pieces of hanging dough.


Prick the bottom of the crust with a fork. If you haven't yet prepared your filling, refrigerate the crust while you do. Roll out the second crust. Put the filling into the shell, and then either:

1. lay the crust over the filling in the same method as you transported the first crust. Press the edges together, shaping it with your fingers. Cut four holes in the top of the crust.

or

2. cut the second crust into 1-inch strips. Arrange one set of strips going in one direction, then another set in the other direction. Press the crust together at the edge, and shape with your fingers.


Pie crust is very forgiving- the imperfections turn lovely as it bakes. So just press the dough together, and everything will be okay. Your pie will be beautiful, because pies just are.

And that's it! This pie crust changed my life just a little bit, and if you are in need of a change, it might do the same for you. Whir. Whir. The next crust will be in the cuisinart, so get your blade ready. We'll all be pie crust makers soon enough, friends.

spinach ricotta pie

For some reason, pie crust has been coming up a lot lately.
"I just can't do pie crust!"
I kid you not. I have heard this four times in the last week.

I wouldn't call myself a pie crust master (if only I were master of anything except this mess!), but I no longer get an anxious clench in my stomach when I pull out my rolling pin. And I'd say maybe 4 times out of 5, the crust is damn good. So, I'm getting there. Those other 1 out of 5 crusts are usually hard as a rock, but we won't talk about those, at least not today.

Some people who don't do the pie crust thing just avoid the whole topic altogether. They say they like frittatas better than quiches anyway, and they make crisps instead of pies. I have certainly gone this route, but, like I said, the rolling pin and I are getting to be better friends.

But then there is the other option. There is, ahem, the frozen pie crust.
As I've mentioned here before, this is the crust on which I was raised. My mother's brand of choice was, and still is, called Orenoke. To this day, I hand her a piece of pie made in my own crust, and the best I can get out of her is "yeah, it's pretty good."
I guess I can't really blame her. She just loves that Orenoke pie crust.


Honestly, I think if frozen pie crust is your thing, use it! I say that guilt and the kitchen don't mix. We do what we can, and if it works, then amen to that.
But for those of you who might like to try their hand at pie crust again, or for the first time, I'm thinking we should do a little work together here. Yeah? Maybe next week, after those peas are in the ground? It's supposed to rain a little bit here, and I'm thinking that will be a good time. I could use a date with that rolling pin.

I've got a couple of tricks, and I'm guessing you might too. Will you help out? Together, we might just master this thing.

So what do you think? Are you in? It might be good to get a handle on it before berry season comes around. When there are that many strawberries, it's good to have options.

Just to get started, I've got a pie for you today. This was one of my mother's favorites when I was growing up, and she brought it to every single potluck dinner that I can remember. Of course, the crust was always Orenoke. So, if you want to wait until our little pie crust session to get the rolling pin out, go ahead and use that frozen pie crust. My mother would say it's better that way, anyway.

Spinach Ricotta Pie
adapted from Mollie Katzen, Moosewood Cookbook

1 recipe all-butter pie crust, single crust, or a frozen pie crust, or what have you
1 pound ricotta cheese
3 beaten eggs
1/2 pound chopped spinach, fresh or frozen
1 small, diced onion
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
dash nutmeg
paprika, for the top
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup sour cream

Prepare the pie crust and lay into a buttered 9-inch pie pan. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a small skillet or sautee pan, melt the butter. Add the onion. When the onion is translucent, add the spinach (if it is frozen, you can put it right in there). Cook for about 2 minutes over medium heat, stirring frequently. Add a pinch of salt and a dash of pepper. Remove from heat.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the spinach mixture, ricotta, eggs, flour, cheese and nutmeg. Spread into unbaked pie shell.
Top with one cup sour cream, spread to the edges of the crust with a rubber spatula. Top with a generous sprinkling of paprika.

Bake for 40-50 minutes.

tangy frozen greek yogurt

I made pies on Friday. There were friends coming, and I was in the mood to make pie. I made two pies. The first was a peach creme fraiche pie that smitten kitchen wrote about last week. This is a pie you should make.

The second was blueberry rhubarb. The filling was so good, tangy and wonderful.

I've had some experiences with pie crust. To the dismay of my frozen pie crust loving mother, I made my first pie crust a few years ago. It was for a quiche, and it was perfect. A week later, cocky, I made a strawberry rhubarb double crusted pie. I've never eaten a cardboard box, but I think with a few strawberries tucked inside, it would taste better than that pie. I'm still feeling the need to apologize to my guests that night for that one. Thom and Meg, I think it was, and Meagan and Ben. I'm so sorry.
I've been through cuisinarts that have then gone and died on me, pastry cutters, knives and fingers that rub the fat in. And I have to say, about three quarters of the time, I make a pretty good pie crust.
Unfortunately, Friday was not one of those times. I have to admit, I was rushing. There was a lot going on. I had to get to a mid-day eleven year olds singing showtunes concert, and I was waiting for a work call from Spain. I was forcing the situation a bit.
I'm not sure what happened. I didn't overwork it- I didn't have the time. But that crust could break a tooth.
I'm so glad that I had gotten that personal email from Ruth Reichl earlier in the week. I don't know how it happened- I checked some box on the Gourmet website, and now I get these cute little personal emails from Ruth. I mean, I know I'm special, but what service! How she knows that I make my own Greek yogurt, I don't know! Perhaps she's reading this very blog, gaining inspiration for the next issue?
Anyway, thank god Ruth thought to send me this one. Because I must say, although it is not overwhelmingly yummy on its own, it is the most perfect accompaniment to blueberry pie I have maybe ever experienced. And my blueberry pie really needed a good accompaniment.

Tangy Frozen Greek Yogurt
from Gourmet, August 2009
(this is slightly adapted- the original version uses corn syrup, but I'll give you my version with honey)

makes about a quart

1 cup sugar
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup water
1/8 tsp salt
2 cups plain whole-milk Greek-style yogurt
1 cup well shaken buttermilk
5 tsp fresh lemon juice

Warm sugar, honey, water and salt in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Transfer to a large bowl and cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.
Whisk in yogurt, buttermilk and lemon juice and chill until very cold, 3 to 6 hours. Freeze yogurt in an ice cream maker. Transfer to an airtight container and put in the freezer to firm up.
Keeps in the freezer for up to one week.