<p>I make pie all year - just changing the type with the season. Making a crust is really not that hard in the food processor. Just make sure everything is really cold and don’t over process. I also add a little cinnamon to the crust. I use Joy of Cooking for most of my fillings. One “accident”, however, became everyone’s favorite. I was going to make a berry pie but did not have enough of any one berry so it became “two berry” pie - blueberry and raspberry. Now it is apple season though. When I don’t have time for a pie crust I just make a crisp with the oatmeal topping. I do that for peach, pear, and apple. </p>
<p>My mom always used a Mrs. Smith crust. Could hardly tell it was not homemade. Not sure I have seen those recently though. They like to sell their completed pies.</p>
<p>For years I made crust using my father’s not-so-secret secret of using the coldest water possible. I went to a BBQ recently and tasted the flakiest crust I have had in my life - the baker of the pie said that her secret was using, of all things, VODKA in her pie crust! The alcohol burns off during baking. I was skeptical, but I went straight to Google once I got home and, sure enough, the vodka pie crust recipe was out there!</p>
<p>VODKA—someone stole my secret. I do a generous pour over the rocks. Enough for the pie and a little left over for mommy. When I use the Crisco recipe and have vodka on hand—just sub half the water for Vodak.</p>
<p>DH is the pie maker in our house, and he uses the America’s Test Kitchen receipe with vodka(?) for the pie dough. I asked why and there was some long involved explanation involving a lot of chemistry and references to the cook book. I quit listening and just waited for the pie to be ready.</p>
<p>I make a lot of crumbles, especially apple with cranberries. I don’t do well with the pie crust, but I may try again when DH is at the office…</p>
<p>Never tried the Vodka in the pie crust but I may now. I was taught by my Mom to use Crisco and ice cold water. Then a light touch when rolling the dough out.
The other thing we always do for apple pie is make a VERY strong cup of tea. I add a T of the tea to the sugar, lemon juice and spices before pouring over the apples in the crust.
For a real New England apple pie you can shred cheddar cheese into the crust. Yummy.</p>
<p>I have used Tequila—with a key lime pie. The taste came thru and was actually OK. Gin or Vermouth might leave too strong an aftertaste. The upside of Vodka is its relative absence of taste. I have also used white wine in my crust for chicken pot pie, but that crust is heavily seasoned already.</p>
<p>This thread is deteriorating since the mention of Vodka!!! Personally I do not like pie, I hate pie crust even though my mother’s does melt in your mouth. I just don’t like baked lard. Doesn’t work for me. Supposedly my grandmother would make pie and eat it for breakfast. I never knew her but from pictures, well, it could certainly be true. I am a cake lover and freely admit it! However I like pie fillings for the most part so I will do crips and crumbles…the pear one sounds good although I am not a pear fan. It is rainy and chilly here in the northern/northeast today so I am thinking an apple crisp is in order. So much for losing a few pounds.</p>
<p>Hallelujah! I finally know how to put the vodka given to us by our Russian friends to a good use! It’s been taking up valuable space in my freezer since 1998.</p>
<p>khstitches, I don’t put lard in my pie crust. I’ve tried lard crusts since my son wanted to duplicate some of the meat pies he’d enjoyed in England this summer, but we both came to the conclusion that we liked our crusts better. (All butter or butter and Crisco.)</p>
<p>If I made piecrust (which actually I probably never would, I even said no to the church fair pie ladies this past summer, yes, I am doomed to hell) I would probably use Crisco. Its not good for you either but lard, ick. My mother used it, so do my sister and SIL…looks flakey enough but thankfully there is ONE dessert I can pass up!!! I have a horrible sweet tooth…LOL!</p>
<p>I spent the entire afternoon picking my groundcover alpine strawberries. Checked on CC and decided to make a berry pie. It is in the oven, baking as we chat. I made the vodka pie crust (many thanks, Rachacha, for that recipe!!!), and H is circling the kitchen like a hungry lion. As far as I can tell, the crust will be very flaky - heavenly! It will take us a while to finish this pie since both H and I are cutting back on junk calories.</p>
<p>Update: H stayed up late waiting for the pie to cool down. His comment about the pie - “Total nirvana”. Yup, the vodka crust recipe is a keeper. It looks like the evaporating alcohol from vodka makes the crust very light and flaky. The dough was very easy to roll, too.</p>
<p>I love baking pies. Just made an apple pie over the weekend to welcome in the fall. Came out great. Used butter for the crust, very light and flaky; it’s a little trickier to work with than lard (which I never use anymore) or vegetable shortening, but if you pull it off I think it produces superior flavor and texture. Refrigerate well before rolling. Used Cortlands, my favorite baking apples, just the right balance of juiciness and tartness. A couple of tips: place a few dabs of butter on top of the apple-sugar-cinnamon-lemon mixture just below the top crust. Adds calories but what the heck, you’re eating PIE, what do you expect? And it really enhances the flavor. Brush the top crust lightly with milk then sprinkle lightly with cinnamon and sugar before baking. The milk helps the crust brown perfectly, and the cinnamon-sugar adds taste and a pleasing appearance to the crust.</p>
<p>I also make a mean strawberry-rhubarb pie in the spring.</p>
<p>3 Tbsps butter, softened .
3/4 c light corn syrup .
3/4 c firmly packed brown sugar .
3 eggs .
1 c sliced salted cashews (I buy a can of Planter’s cashews halves and bits) .
1 tsp vanilla .
1 refrigerated premade rolled crust (from 15 oz. pkg…contains two crusts) Use only Pillsbury brand.</p>
<p>Directions:</p>
<p>Step #1 Heat oven to 350.
Step #2 Remove pie crust from plastic package…put rolled up crust on plastic and let warm up a bit.
Step #3 Unroll crust and put in 9 inch pie pan and flute edge.
Step #4 In large bowl, beat brown sugar & butter at high speed until light & fluffy.
Step #5 Add corn syrup & vanilla; beat at medium speed until smooth.
Step #6 Beat in eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
Step #7 Stir in cashew nuts.
Step #8 Pour into crust-lined pan.
Step #9 Bake at 350 for 45-50 mins or until top of pie is deep golden brown.
Step #10 Cover up edge of crust with strips of foil wrap after 15 to 20 mins of baking to prevent excessive browning.</p>
<p>I’m one of those lazy pie bakers who uses prepared crusts. But this thread has inspired me. Do I need to get a food processor? The vodka crust recipe looked interesting but it uses a food processor.
Any great pumpkin pie recipes out there?</p>