The Pie and You!!!

[wolfknightx]

So for those that don't know me very well, or do know me pretty darn well may know that I love to take up different cooking challenges each year.  This past year I took up making my own pie crust and I came out with one that I like a lot and I'm fixing to share it...no real mystery if you ask me

Comments

[phineus]

You got it!! Keeping the butter super super cold is the secret to delicate, flaky pie crust. :D
(I love cooking challenges!)

[wolfknightx]

flaky...maybe not so much. It's solid and it works very well as a good crust but I wouldn't say flaky. The flaky crust I've pulled off takes more work. While your pie is cooking every 15 or so min's pull it out and gently coat it with some butter till it's done cooking. That is the only method I've found to create a good flaky crust. Lots...and lots....and lots of butter. O.o;;

[phineus]

Ahhh; the trick is to leave small pea-sized chunks of cold butter in the dough. When you cut it with the pastry knife, leave chunks everywhere (there'll still be a lot of unmixed flour at the bottom, that's fine! It's for the water to mix in!) and try to mix/knead as little as possible to get it all into one (or two) big blobs... then yeah, pop in the fridge to get cold and firm again. When you roll it out, you want to have small, but visible, specks of cold butter in it. :D It won't be quite like layers-of-flaky-biscuits flaky, but it'll have a bit more fluff to it than usual pastry!

(how the hell you get those nice layers in biscuits or croissants is something I haven't achieved yet! gah)

IF YOU REALLY WANT A CHALLENGE, TRY MAKING THIS VEGAN (no)