<p>Many of you professed a love for your food processor in the recent “favorite kitchen gadget” thread. Just this week I received a food processor as a gift and I’m hoping you can give me some tips…</p>
<p>I used it tonight to make pie crust, but the crust came out a little bit fragile. I used my usual pastry recipe: put the flour and salt in the bowl, pulsed to mix, added the shortening (chilled in the fridge), processed until well-blended, then added the water one tablespoon at a time. </p>
<p>The dough never seemed to come together. After it was well-mixed (about 20-30 seconds), I used a rubber scaper and my hands to pull the dough together into a ball for rolling. Did I do something wrong?</p>
<p>The food processor worked very well for the streusel topping and slicing the apples!</p>
<p>I have made pie crust in my food processor for at least 20 years! 2 cups flour, 2/3 cup crisco shortening, 1/4 cup very cold water. Put the flour and shortening in the processor and use the on/off to get it crumbly. Thru the chute, pour the water with the motor running. The dough should quickly form a ball around the blade - I use the regular blade. If not, turn the motor off and get a dab more water. Pour through the chute while running until it forms a ball. I then take the ball out, chill wrapped in wax paper before rolling out.
Good luck!</p>
<p>Recipe similar to Shelley’s. 2 cups flour, but I add a little sugar and cinnamon (1/2 tsp each) for several of my pies. 1 stick of butter, very cold and 3 TBL cold shortening. I actually use frozen of both most of the time. 1/4 cup very cold water. Process like Shelley. Key for me was being sure everything was very cold.</p>
<p>Thank you, too, Singersmom…you must have posted while I was typing. Maybe I’ll try storing some shortening in the freezer so it’s ready to go when I get the urge to bake a pie.</p>
<p>I use my cuisinart to cut the fat into the flour, but then turn it into a bowl to add the water by hand. I use 7 TBS fat per cup of flour, usually a combination of frozen Crisco and chilled unsalted butter, plus a pinch of salt. For pies and tarts I add 1 TBS of sugar. I pulse the dry ingredients first, then add the fats cut into pieces of about 1 TBS. and pulse about 3 times for a count of nine each time, until it has that “oatmeal” consistency. Turn into a large bowl, add ice water gradually mixing with fork until it hangs together enough to form a ball, knead lightly a few times, wrap in plastic and chill for an hour or so.</p>
<p>Not quite as good as handmade which is what I do 9 times out of 10, but way better than store bought, and very fast:</p>
<p>1 cup flour
1 stick frozen butter cut into 1" pieces
3 Tb. ice water
pinch salt</p>
<p>Mix flour and salt with 3-4 pulses.
Blend in butter with pulses until it resembles course meal.
Pour water through feed tube and blend until dough just starts to clump together. Do not form a ball.
Turn onto a surface and shape into a disc.
Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 1 hour. (I have to admit I usually ignore this step.)
Roll out as usual, except it will be easier to roll out than my usual dough.</p>
<p>This has been my food processor pie crust recipe for a lot of years now - has never failed me. I can’t remember the source. The nice thing about this one is it’s rather forgiving; easy to “mend” together parts as long as it’s not the top layer. </p>
<p>2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 cubes (6 ounces) cold unsalted butter cut into small pieces
1 large egg mixed with 1 tablespoon lemon juice</p>
<p>Combine flour, salt, sugar and butter in food processor, mixing until blended but still granular. Add egg mixture and process just until dough forms a ball. Makes an average two crust pie.</p>
<p>I always use the Martha Stewart recipe below. It’s perfect every time. It’s technically a ‘tart’ crust, so it tolerates more handling than the traditional shortening-based pie crusts. I find it much easier to work with.</p>
<p>Pate brisee is the French version of classic pie or tart pastry. Pressing the dough into a disc rather than shaping it into a ball allows it to chill faster. This will also make the dough easier to roll out, and if you freeze it, it will thaw more quickly.
Ingredients
Makes 1 double-crust or 2 single-crust 9- to 10-inch pies
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water
Directions
In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, salt, and sugar. Add butter, and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, 8 to 10 seconds.
With machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream through feed tube. Pulse until dough holds together without being wet or sticky; be careful not to process more than 30 seconds. To test, squeeze a small amount together: If it is crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time.
Divide dough into two equal balls. Flatten each ball into a disc and wrap in plastic. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill at least 1 hour. Dough may be stored, frozen, up to 1 month.</p>