November/December 2006
Dear Friends,

This time of year families enjoy feasting at holiday meals. Pies are a traditional dessert, but many ladies just don’t know how to make a piecrust. For many years I had difficulty, too and longed for a tasty homemade pie. Then a dear friend in NC shared her recipe for a truly easy, and delicious piecrust, a recipe she’d received decades ago.

This year-end letter will be longer than most. I’ll share this wonderful, simple recipe, plus an easy, no-mess technique for rolling the dough. We’ll finish that off with the recipe for apple filling and a scrumptious crumb crust topping, sure to delight your family and guests.

Before we get into the piecrust lesson, I received a wonderful gingham embroidery idea from Christine N. Carlton, a medical student at Touro University California. She
pre-washed pillowcases she purchased at a discount store and cut ¼” checked gingham fabric into strips 6” wide and long enough to go all the way around the pillowcase parallel to the hem. On the gingham, she stitched the recipient’s name. Christine did this for 7 cousins! I would use the snowflake stitch, and first write the letters with a fabric pen with erasable or disappearing ink (available in the notions section). If you embroider the gingham first and then sew the panel onto the pillowcase, the knots and wrong side of the embroidery won’t show.

Fold the long, raw edges of the gingham under ¼” and press. Use a seam ripper to carefully open the side seam of the pillow case (you only need to open about 8” of the seam to insert the gingham). Pin the embroidered gingham strip all around the pillowcase, about an inch from the edge of the pillowcase hem. Machine stitch the entire length of the gingham along the top and bottom edge of the panel. To keep the panel from “poofing” out, you may also want to stitch another line through the center of the gingham, just up to or around the letters you have stitched. Sew the side seam of the pillowcase back together, catching the ends of the gingham inside the seam.

Gingham fabric is usually too scratchy to use to make the entire pillowcase. You want a good quality cotton pillowcase (the more threads per inch, the better) that is smooth when you lay your face against it at night. Sewing the gingham panel to the pillowcase is a wonderful way of adding gingham embroidery to make a truly unique pillowcase! Thank you, Christine, for sharing with us!

Now for our pie lesson. I hope all you FCH’ers out there will do this lesson. One year, my class made cherry pies for Valentine’s Day (photos below). Several moms saved potpie tins for us and each girl made a small pie so we could fit them all in the oven at once. Use a marker to write each girl’s name on the outside of the pie tin. Instead of a crumb topping, we made a double crust pie and cut a heart out of the top crust with a small heart-shaped cookie cutter. The recipe below is enough for two small double crust pies (the size of individual potpies, diameter 5” or about 13 cm), or a single large crust for a 10” deep dish pie.
                           



Before we look at the pie recipe, let’s talk about pie pans. I only use disposable foil pans when I teach because oven space is limited with 8 or 10 girls all needing to bake their pie. I don’t recommend them for large pies as the foil is not real stable especially for heavy apple pies. Clear glass pie pans, such as Pyrex, are the best and I’ve seen them in discount stores for about $5. A wise investment! They conduct heat through the glass more quickly than metal pans so the crust is less likely to get soggy. And you can see through them to see if the crust is browning nicely. Soak them in a little water before clean-up and they’re easy to clean, too.

Don’t use a pie pan with a non-stick surface; when you cut the pie you will damage the coating. And please don’t use a round cake pan! You can tell the difference because a cake pan has straight sides rather than flared sides like a pie plate. As my husband often reminds me, “With the right tools the job is easy.” Invest in a clear glass pie plate for the best results.

Let’s get started on our pie. Read through the entire lesson first; you may print it if you wish. Be sure to have all ingredients on hand. We’ll begin with the recipe for the piecrust, followed by photos illustrating how to roll the dough and transfer it easily to your pie plate. Then I’ll share my recipe for apple pie including the crumb topping.

The piecrust is delicious with any type of pie including savory potpies and quiche. This recipe has not been tested with whole wheat flour. As you look at the recipe, you’ll see it uses oil rather than butter, shortening or lard. When I first saw the recipe, I wondered how it would taste. It turned out so flaky and delicious! Canola or safflower oil are much healthier than butter or shortening, and the oil makes the dough very easy to work with.

FCH Foolproof Piecrust

2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
½ Cup Canola or Safflower Oil
¼ Cup Milk
¾ t. salt, optional             Yield: One 9 – 10” (about 23 – 26 cm.) deep dish piecrust

1. Put the flour (and salt if desired) into a medium sized bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour.

2. Mix the oil & milk together thoroughly with a whisk or fork. Pour into the flour. Stir quickly with a fork until all the flour is moistened. Do not over mix.

3. Pat the dough together gently to form a ball. It is now ready to be rolled out.


The Easy Way to Roll Out Pie Dough
One of the trickiest parts of making a piecrust is transferring it into the pie plate without tearing it. I’ve seen various techniques suggested, but none so easy as this. We will roll the dough between two pieces of waxed paper (not parchment paper). You could use plastic wrap, but waxed paper is stiffer and easier to work with. You’ll find it in the grocery store near the foil and plastic wrap. Rolling the dough between pieces of waxed paper also keeps your countertop clean; no big mess to clean up!

Tear off 2 squares of waxed paper (12” square, about 31 cm.). Wipe the countertop with a damp dishrag and lay one piece of waxed paper on top. This helps to keep the waxed paper in place while you roll out the dough.

1. Place dough in center of waxed paper; press down to flatten slightly.





2. Put the second piece of waxed paper on top of the dough. Begin in the center & roll dough out until it reaches the edges of the waxed paper.




3. Peel off the top piece of waxed paper. Discard.





4. Put your hand under the bottom piece of waxed paper. Lift the rolled piecrust.




5. Flip the piecrust over and center it in the pie plate. Press the dough firmly into the bottom and sides of the pie plate.




6. Peel off the waxed paper. Trim the edges of the dough with a clean scissors or knife. You want to make an even edge all around the top of the pie plate. Use little scraps of dough to build up the edge if needed.




7. Flute the edge with your fingers. Press the index finger of one hand between two fingers on the other hand, creating little V’s in the dough. Go all the way around the edge.




8. The finished piecrust! If your filling is not ready, press a paper towel onto the dough and refrigerate. A chilled crust bakes up flakier and the paper towel will absorb some of the oil.


The Filling – Apple Pie
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. While you prepare the filling and crumb topping, the oven can come up to temperature. This is important; don’t put your pie in a cold oven! The hot 425 degree temperature for the first 15 minutes of baking helps set the crust so it turns out flaky, not soggy. After the first 15 minutes, we’ll turn the oven down to 375 degrees for about an hour.

Filling Ingredients:
5 – 6 pounds of apples
½ Cup – 1 Cup sugar
1 t. cinnamon
¼ t. ground cloves, optional
2 – 3 T. cornstarch

Peel, core and slice the apples into thin slices. Sprinkle with remaining ingredients and gently stir to coat the apple slices.

Let’s talk about the ingredients. There are many varieties of apples on the market today. Some are firmer than others and hold up better while baking. Granny Smith apples are very tart and I use one or two Granny Smith’s with a sweeter variety such as Gala or Delicious. Winesap is another variety often used in pies. Here’s a good rule of thumb: Use an apple you like to eat raw. Go for the taste. I like a sweet apple because it requires little added sugar in the pie. You might like to mix two or three varieties.

All those apples take a lot of peeling, coring and slicing. For many years I did that by hand, but then bought an apple peeler that in just a few seconds peels, cores and slices the apples. Mine is from Pampered Chef, but you can also find them in kitchen stores and online catalogs. They are about $30 but, I think, well worth the investment. See resources below.

You will need to layer the apples in the pie plate and mound them up a couple of inches above the rim. As they bake, the apples shrink, so be sure to pack them in tightly. Don’t just dump the bowl of sliced apples into the piecrust! You’ll end up with a lot of air pockets and when you cut the pie, instead of nice layers of apples, you’ll see just a jumble of apples thrown together. Use your fingers to layer the apple slices.

A 10” deep dish pie plate like the one in the photos above, will need at least 5 pounds of apples. A smaller pie plate will need only 3 – 4 pounds. Better to have extra; the children will enjoy eating any leftover apple slices.

The amount of sugar you use will depend on the sweetness of your apples and your personal preference. I rarely use more than ½ Cup because I buy sweet apples and my husband does not enjoy overly sweet desserts.

Likewise, spices are also a matter of taste. You can add a little nutmeg (1/8 – ¼ t.) or allspice to the spices listed above. You may find “apple pie spice” in the store; that will vary by brand but is usually a mixture of the spices I’ve listed. If in doubt, just use the cinnamon; the pie will be wonderful!

Some people like to sprinkle the apple slices with a little lemon juice as they slice them to keep them from turning brown. Lemon juice also adds a nice tartness if you have sweet apples. The choice is yours, but I don’t use it often. When you sprinkle the cinnamon on the apples, they will be a bit brown anyway. If you use lemon juice, don’t use more than about a tablespoon. You don’t want you apples swimming in juice when the pie comes out of the oven!

Apples are juicy; so to thicken the filling we use cornstarch. The amount you need varies depending on the juiciness of the apples. I sprinkle at least 2 T. of cornstarch on the apples slices and then set them aside. Then I make the topping and come back to my big bowl of apple slices. Experience is really your best guide here. I stir the apples and see how much juice is in the bottom of the bowl and add another 2 T. of cornstarch if there’s a lot of juice.

Why cornstarch? It produces a bright clear fruit filling. You can use flour, but you will need twice as much flour as cornstarch and the filling won’t be quite as translucent. Flour is certainly acceptable if that is all you have on hand, but cornstarch is preferable.

The Topping – Crumb Crust
Sometimes called a Dutch Apple Pie, this crumb crust is easy to make and so delicious! Set the butter out ahead of time so it’s soft enough to cut easily, but not so soft that it won’t hold its shape.

Topping Ingredients:
1 Cup All-Purpose Flour, 1 Cup Sugar, 1 Stick of Butter (1/2 Cup or 8 Tablespoons)
Mix the flour and sugar in a medium bowl. Slice the butter; add to the flour mixture. Cut the butter into the flour mixture with two knives, in a scissors-like motion, or use a pastry cutter. You want to work the butter into the flour and sugar until it is crumbly and the butter is about the size of small peas.

Putting It All Together!
Before you assemble the pie, be sure your oven is up to temperature: 425 degrees. Remove the piecrust from the refrigerator and remove the paper towel if you have covered it. Set the pie plate on a cookie sheet (this is to aid clean up).

Check the amount of juice in the bowl of apple slices. If necessary, add more cornstarch. Layer the apples into the crust, gently patting them in place to avoid as many air pockets as possible. Mound the apples up at least an inch or two above the crust edge. Pour in any juice that remains in the bowl.

Carefully spoon or pour the crumb topping onto the pie to completely cover the apples. Gently pat the crumbs in place. You don’t want to flatten the butter crumbs or your pie topping will look flattened! You just want the crumbs to stick to the apples. Don’t worry; they will!

Remove the pie from the cookie sheet. If you spilled a lot of the topping, add it back onto the pie.

Place the pie in the hot oven. It is best not to bake it on a cookie sheet because that may cause a soggy crust. I use a pie ring or oven guard to bake my pies. They are the size of a large round pizza pan but the center is cut away to allow the hot oven air to reach the bottom of the pie plate while the sides of the pie ring catch any juices that bubble over. See resources below.

If you don’t have a pie ring, set a piece of foil on the rack right below the pie to keep any juices from spilling into the bottom of your oven. Bake your pie on the middle rack of your oven, never the top rack where the pie top is likely to burn.

If you’re preparing a big meal and need the oven for turkey or other baked food, plan to bake your pie in the morning. Set it on a cooling rack. You can reheat the pie if you wish by placing it in a 350 degree oven for 10 – 15 minutes, or use the microwave.

Once your pie is in the oven, set your timer for 15 minutes. At that time, turn the oven temperature down to 375 and bake for another hour or until you see the juices begin to bubble up. Deep dish 10” pies will need the full 1 ¼ hours; check smaller pies after 40 minutes.

Watch the pie closely the last half hour of baking. Sometimes the topping (or crust if you make a double crust pie) begins to brown before the pie is done. Metal pie shields are available that fit right over the edge of a pie plate, usually the area that browns too quickly. With the crumb topping that is not much of a problem. However, sometimes the tops of the crumbs get dark. In that case, carefully lay a piece of foil over the top of the pie loosely and turn the oven temperature down to 350 degrees.

If your class is using the small 5” pot pie pans, check pies after 20 – 30 minutes. The amount of time will vary depending on how many pies are in the oven.

Make Ahead: You can make the piecrust the day before if you wish. If making it more than a couple of hours in advance, do not press a paper towel into it as it may stick to the dough. Just cover with plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator. You should be able to freeze the crust but I have never tried it. The crust recipe is so quick and easy that I prefer to make it when I need it.

Once you fill the pie, it is best to bake it immediately. Otherwise the juice will make the crust soggy. For the same reason, I do not bake my pies the night before I will serve them. Although we’ve eaten leftover pie the next day, the crust is not as good as it was the day it was baked.

Variation: Double Crust Pie
Perhaps you want a crust on top rather than the crumb topping. Mix up another batch of the piecrust recipe and roll out as directed. Lay it on top of the apples so that the edge of the dough extends beyond the bottom crust about ¾” all the way around. Trim the top crust with a scissors and then tuck the top crust under the ridge of the bottom crust. Pinch together all the way around and flute the edge or crimp together with a fork. Use a knife to cut several 1” slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape. Here are some pictures of a small double crust pie I made to demonstrate the technique to my FCH class.




 Lay the top crust on top of the fruit.




 Trim, the tuck the top edge under.  Press together to seal.




 Flute the edges or press with a fork.
 


Ladies, you can do this! Don’t stress over it. If you’ve never made a pie before, practice beforehand; your family will enjoy eating the results and you’ll become a confident baker!

This is so much tastier than a store-bought or frozen pie. And the crust recipe is so easy there is really no need to resort to a frozen piecrust. Read the ingredients on those: partially hydrogenated oils, preservatives and other things I’d rather not feed my family. With this simple, 3-ingredient piecrust recipe you can turn out a lovely pie this holiday season.

King Arthur Flour carries many wonderful products including an apple peeler/slicer, an oven guard, and pie crust shields. Go to http://www.kingarthurflour.com and type the product you want to see in the search box.

Blessings to you all! I hope you and your family have hearts full of thanksgiving to our Lord this Thanksgiving and enjoy a blessed Christmas celebrating the birth of our Savior.


Yours in Him,

 

Copyright, 2006, Laurie Latour.  www.FutureChristianHomemakers.com

You may make one printed copy for your own personal, private use.  FCH leaders may make one printed copy for each person in their group.  Copyright line above must be included in all copies.  Permission for any other use must be requested in writing. 
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