Tasty, Flaky Pie Crust

Nana was famous for her wonderful pie crust. Always wanting to improve, she was always trying new recipes. This pie crust recipe is the closest one I could find for the original, perfect crust she had perfected.

For a 2 crust pie.

• 2 1/2 C. Flour
  
• 1 t. Salt
  
• 1 Stick of Butter (cold)
  
• 1/2 C. Shortening (cold)
  
• 1/3 C. Water (more or less)
  

For a two crust pie (fruit pie, etc.)
Cream to paint on top of crust
Sugar to sprinkle on top of crust

Combine dry ingredients in bowl and cut in shortening. Cut in butter and start adding in water. When dough just leaves the sides of the bowl, make a ball and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for 10-15 minutes. Divide in half for 2 crusts. On a floured surface roll out dough to desired thickness. Roll up on rolling pin, or fold in half to transfer to pie dish. Cut dough to 1/2" below dish edge. Fill with pie filling and roll out top crust. Cut dough 1/2" below dish edge and tuck under both crust edges to edge of dish. This seals the edges. With thumb and fingers crimp the edges to make them pretty. Cut vent holes in top crust and brush with cream and sprinkle sugar. Bake according to pie recipe.

To make pie blinds (pre-baked crust for cream pies etc.) there will of course be no top crusts. After crust is in pie plate, trim and crimp edges. Using a fork, pierce dough several times in the bottom and on the sides. If you have pie wieghts, follow the directions before baking. Bake at 350º until lightly browned. Remove and cool.




Some fun options for pie blinds:
Painted Chocolate Crust
Melt 3-4 ozs. chocolate chips and 1 T. shortening in a double boiler. When smooth, paint onto baked crust with a pastry brush. Chill and fill with filling of choice.

Cream Cheese over Crust
3-4 ozs. Cream Cheese
1/2 C. Powdered Sugar
Whip soft cream cheese and sugar together. Spread over bottom of baked crust. Pour filling into pie.

Coconut Cream Pie

Another of Nana's famous pies. Loved by all, and certainly was expected at more than one holiday gathering. Our ward has the ladies bring pie to the kitchen on Father's Day. They cut and plate all the different pies and serve the men in Priesthood opening exercises. It is the best attended Priesthood meeting all year. Our guys knew this Coconut Cream was in there this year and made sure they snagged a piece. Love it!



More than enough for a 10" deep dish pre-baked crust.

• 1 1/2 C. Sugar
  
• 1/4 C. Cornstarch (or Ultra Gel)
  
• 3 T. Flour
  
• 1/2 C. Evaporated milk
  
• 4 C. Milk
  
• 6-8 Egg yolks (slightly beaten)
  
• 2 T. Butter
  
• 1 t. Vanilla
  
• 1 1/2 - 2 C. Coconut
  

Combine first six ingredients in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Stirring constantly over medium heat, bring to a boil. Mixture should be thickened. Add butter, vanilla and coconut and allow to cool a while, maybe 10 minutes or so. Do not stir filling, pour into pre-baked pie crust and cover with wax paper or plastic and allow to completely cool. Top with stabilized whipped cream and refrigerate before serving.




Nana's pies were a work of art. I wish I had taken pictures of them. She was a pie master for sure.

Lemon Pie

My Favorite Pie! Nana was always good about making me a lemon pie for my birthday most years. Since my birthday sometimes falls on Thanksgiving, I could count on one for sure on those years. She has tried many recipes and been frustrated with meringue on the top, so went to cream on the top instead. What ever is on the top, the lemon pie filling is the best.

• 1 C. Sugar
  
• 2/3 C. Cornstarch or Ultra Gel
  
• 3 C. Water
  
• 7-8 Egg yolks (slightly beaten)
  
• 1 T. Light Karo Syrup
  
• 2/3 - 1 C. fresh lemon juice
  
• 2 T. Butter
  
• 1/2 C. Sour Cream (optional)
  

In a heavy bottom saucepan combine first five ingredients. Stirring constantly, cook over medium heat until mixture is thickened. Add in the lemon juice and butter and cook about another 2 minutes. Remove from heat and cool a bit. Add the sour cream and pour into baked crust.




Cut a round out of wax paper and place on top of filling to prevent a skin from forming. Allow to completely cool.
Top with meringue if you wish following a recipe for whipping, baking and browning in the oven, or prepare stabilized whipped cream (much easier) before serving.



Nana liked a tart lemon pie, so adjust the amount of lemon juice and sugar to your liking. I think the amounts here are perfect because I like a tart lemon pie too. Enjoy.

Apple Pie a la Nana

I remember Nana making her famous apple pie and knowing how much Richard loved it and had a non-pie-making wife, she would think of ways to send it to us when we lived in California. Papa flew for a corporation that came to Cali often, so when she baked a couple of pies, she would send one with Papa for us. I would drive to little executive airports many times to pick up a delicious pie. What a wonderful memory to cherish now.

–Sherry Kanaga Harmon

Deep Dish Double Crust
Ingredients
2 1/2 C. Flour
2 T. Sugar
1 t. Salt
1/2 C. Cold Shortening
1/2 C. Cold Butter (diced)
3 T. Apple Juice
3 T. Cold water (more if needed)
 
Directions
In a food processor with the chopping blade on, combine flour, sugar and salt.
Cut in the shortening with 7-8 pluses and add the butter. About 4- 5 more pulses should produce a pea like texture. Add the water and juice mixture and do a few short pulses, just until it starts to come together. Turn onto a bread board and push it into a ball.Wrap the ball in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 15 minutes. It can stay in the fridge longer if you don’t get to it right away.

Apple Filling
Ingredients
8-9 mixed variety apples
For a mix of naturally sweet and tart varieties, try these: Bramley, Cox, Pippin, Fuji, McIntosh, Stayman Winesap, Jonagold, Rome, Cameo, Jonathon, Honeycrisp and Pink Lady. If unavailable, try Red Delicious or Gala. Granny Smith were Nana’s favorite to mix in as she liked a tart apple pie. You want flavorful, aromatic and firm apples. Always use a mixture - never just one type. The Fuji's and Gala's give it an aromatic flavor!

1/4 C. Apple juice (or balsamic vinegar)
3 T. Butter
2 t. Vanilla
1-2 C. Sugar (1 part can be brown)
2 T. Cinnamon

Optional additional spices to add are:
1/4 t. Nutmeg
1/4 t. Ground cloves
1/4 t. Ginger
1/4 t. Allspice

Nana was not a fan of ginger or allspice for sure, only sometimes would add a little nutmeg and maybe a dash of cloves if she were in the mood. Experiment and decide what combinations you like.

3-4 T. Ultra Gel (can use flour or cornstarch for substitution)
2 T. Butter (to dot top of apple filling in the pie)

Directions
Peel, core and wedge the apples. Place into a large frying pan with butter and juice on medium heat. Cover for about 8 minutes, or until just barely tender. Remove from heat, add vanilla and allow to cool. Mix Ultra Gel, sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle over cooled apples and toss. Place apples into bottom crust in a deep pie dish. Dot with butter and cover with top crust. Cut a few slashes in top crust to allow steam to escape while cooking. Trim edges to 1/2” bigger than the pie dish, fold excess under itself and crimp edge down to seal in the filling. Paint top crust with cream and sprinkle sugar over top. Egg wash can be used, but doesn’t brown as well.

Bake at 375º for 20 minutes in lower half of oven. Then reduce heat to 350º and move to center of the oven. Bake another 30-40 minutes. This will insure the bottom crust gets nice and done for a flaky melt in your mouth crust and should keep the crust edges from getting too brown.

When pie is nice and golden brown, remove and cool on wire rack.

Tip: Sometimes I use foil to make little shields for the crimped edge of pie. Keep in place for first
30 minutes of bake time and then remove. This will keep the crimped edge from getting too brown.
 
Tip: Sprinkle 1 T. of lemon gelati over apples before adding the top crust. Flavor is delicious and gelatin helps to prevent spillovers.