ChezCindy: Tollhouse Chocolate Chip Pie

Making pie crust from scratch can be tricky.  But once you find the perfect recipe that works for you, it tastes so much better than the "already made" crusts bought from the grocery store.  My sister is actually the better pie crust maker in the family.  Which is why she usually makes the pies for each holiday gathering.

I used to struggle with making crust from scratch.  At times the crust would come out too tough or it would fall apart when I rolled it out and tried to transfer it to the pie pan.  But now, I have found my go-to recipe for pie crust, and it works every time.  You will find the recipe with my quiche post.  savory quiche pie crust

When I made this Tollhouse Chocolate Chip pie yesterday, I felt it was time to capture my pie crust recipe here on my blog.  Each time I make a pie, I search through my box of recipes.  Now that sounds like I have a neatly organized box of recipes.  But not...  My box of recipes is full of photocopies, pages torn out of magazines, hand-written notes, all somewhat organized.  My fear of misplacing the recipe has prompted me to add it to the blog site.  My husband tells a story that his mother used to make the best pie crust.  But no one has the recipe.  In her last years, even she could not remember her recipe.  So here is my perfect dessert pie crust.   I hope it works well for you.  Practice will lead you to mastering this technique.

Double Pie Dough for 2 Crusts

12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks)

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1teaspoon sea salt

1/3 cup cold butter-flavored Crisco shortening
1/2 cup ice water

makes two 9"-11" crusts

Cut the butter into 1/2-inch dice.  Return to the refrigerator if you have delay before preparing the flour mixture.

Place the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade.  Pulse a few times to combine.  Add the butter and shortening to the flour mixture, pulsing for 8-10 times, until the butter is the size of pearls.  With the machine running, pour the cold water down the feed tube, pulsing until the dough begins to form a ball.  Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface.  Gather the dough, divide in half to form 2 disks.  Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.  

Remove the dough from the refrigerator, working with 1 disk at a time.  Roll out the disk into a circle about 2 inches larger than the pie pan, rolling from the center of the disk to the edge, turning and flouring the dough to keep it from sticking to the rolling pin and counter.  When the dough is the size needed, carefully fold the dough in half, placing it into the pie pan.  Unfold the dough draping it over the edges of the pan.  Cut off the excess dough at the edges, crimping to form the edge.  Fill or bake as desired.  

Prepared pie dough can be shaped into a disk, wrapped, and stored in the refrigerator for a day or in the freezer for 2 months.  

Tollhouse Chocolate Chip Pie

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar, lightly packed

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

1 1/2 sticks butter, room temperature

1 cup Nestle semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup chopped nuts, such as pecans or walnuts

1 disk of pie dough, homemade preferred, or storebought

Roll out the single disk of pie dough, fitting into a 9-inch pie pan, glass or ceramic is best, crimp the edges.  Place the pie pan in the refrigerator while you make the filling. 

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, sugars and salt until combined. Set aside

Working with the stand mixer, beat the 2 eggs on high speed until foamy, about 3 minutes.  With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture to the eggs, mixing until combined.  Add the butter beating on high until combined.  Fold in the chocolate chips and nuts.

Remove the pie pan from the refrigerator.  Transfer the pie filling to the pie shell, spreading it out evenly.  

Bake for 55-60 minutes.  Test the pie by inserting a knife into the center of the filling.  The knife should come out clean.  If necessary, bake for an additional 5 minute and test again.  The top of the pie should be deeply browned.  Allow the pie to cool for 2 hours on a wire rack before slicing.