ChezCindy: Perfect Pie Crust Recipe

 

Recipe for perfect pie crust every time.  Easy to use, even for beginners.  Bakes beautifully for sweet or savory pies and tarts.  

Double Pie Dough for 2 Crusts

12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated 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 3 months.  

ChezCindy: Red Plum & Sweet Cherry Pie

                 Summer fruits at their finest make the most delicious pie!  

I love when the sweet Bing cherries come to the market.  I generally eat them as they are with no garnish or fanfare, staining my fingers as I nibble around the pit.  The red plums are my favorite simply for their gorgeous garnet color.  The two together made an irresistible brown sugar crumb-topped pie.  

Red Plum and Sweet Cherry Pie with Brown Sugar Crumble

Fruit Filling
1 1/2 pounds red flesh plums, pitted with skin on
1/2-pound sweet Bing cherries, pitted
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon orange juice

Brown Sugar Crumb Topping

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

3/4 cup toasted pecans
8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, diced

One 9-11-inch pie dough for a 9-inch pie pan, homemade or storebought

Perfect Pie Crust Recipe

For the fruit filling:  Cut the plums into quarters, removing the pits, leaving the skin on.  Pit the cherries, cutting in half.  Place the fruit into a large bowl.  Add the remaining ingredients.  Stir to combine. 

For the crumb topping:  Working with a food processor fitted with a steel blade, add the flour, brown sugar and sea salt to the work bowl.  Pulse to combine.  Add in the toasted pecans and pulse for 30 seconds.  Add the butter to the flour nut mixture.  Pulse until the mixture comes together and has a crumbly texture. 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  

To assemble the pie:  Roll out one disk of pie dough into a circle large enough to fit a 9-inch pie pan.  Place the crust into the pie pan, crimping the edges.  Add the prepared fruit, spreading out evenly.  Using your hands, add the crumb topping over the fruit to cover, reaching out to the crimped edges. 

To bake:  Place the filled pie pan onto a baking sheet to catch any fruit juices that may drip during baking.  Place the baking sheet onto the lowest rack into the preheated oven.  Bake for 60-70 minutes.  If the crumb topping and edges become too brown, cover with foil and continue baking until the fruit juices are bubbling and peeking through.  Cool before serving.