Flaky Pie Crust David Lettermans Mom Recipes

PERFECTLY FLAKY PIE CRUST

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix together flour, salt, and sugar until well combined. Using clean hands, add butter and toss until just coated. Rub butter between thumb and forefingers to incorporate into flour mixture until butter is in lima bean-sized pieces and comes together in quarter-sized clumps when squeezed in palm, about 2 minutes. Add shortening, toss until just coated in flour, then rub into flour mixture until mixture forms pea-size pieces (some big chunks should remain) and comes together in fist-sized clumps when squeezed, about 1 minute. Drizzle in half ice water and rake through mixture with fingers until just moistened. Drizzle in remaining water 1 tablespoon at a time and comb through mixture with fingers to moisten. It will go from being a shaggy mess to coming together. Dough is moist enough when it is moistened through but is not wet when pressed. (Do not overwork the dough or it will become tough.)
• While rotating the bowl with 1 hand, push dough between other palm and side of bowl to gather into a ball. Turn dough onto a piece of plastic wrap, press it into a flat disk, then close in wrap. Place in coldest part of refrigerator (usually back bottom shelf) at least 30 minutes before rolling out and forming into a crust.

FLAKY PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Mix flour, salt and sugar.
• Using a processor, a pastry blender or your fingertips, cut the salted butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles cornmeal. Add unsalted butter and shortening and cut them in until the lumps are the size of peas.
• If you have been using a processor, transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Sprinkle on the ice water a little at a time and toss with a fork until the mixture comes together in lumps and holds together when pressed. If necessary, add more ice water, sparingly. Avoid kneading the dough.
• Gather the dough into two balls, wrap each tightly in plastic wrap and chill for at least four hours.

MOM'S PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Combine flour and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer. Cut butter into tablespoon pieces; add it to the flour and butter. Use the paddle beater to cut the butter and flour together. Alternatively, this can be done by hand with a pastry blender.
• With the mixer on low speed , or while stirring the mixture with a fork, pour in the cold water. When the dough starts to clump, and before it turns into a ball, stop stirring.
• Lightly knead dough in the bowl until it forms a ball. Divide dough into two parts. Flatten each part into a disk, and chill for about 30 minutes before rolling.

FLAKY PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Blend flour, sugar and salt in processor.
• Add shortening and butter and cut in using on/off turns until mixture resembles coarse meal.
• Transfer mixture to bowl.
• Mix 6 tablespoons ice water and vinegar in small bowl; pour over flour mixture.
• Stir with fork until moist clumps form, adding more ice water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry.
• Gather dough into 2 balls; flatten each into disk.
• Wrap each in plastic and chill 30 minutes.
• (Can be prepared ahead and refrigerated up to 2 days or frozen up to 1 month. If frozen, thaw overnight in refrigerator. Soften slightly at room temperature before using).
• Zelly Bell I'd say you have a way more modern oven than I do, thank goodness, and you should "tailor" this recipe to what what works for you and your oven, as I imagine most ovens are newer than mine, which I'm just used to mine now, and can even bake good cookies from scratch with it now. This recipe is simply a good easy pie crust easy enough for a beginner in even a not user-friendly oven.
• Please Do NOT be intimidated at making your own pie crust, it's not that much work and way worth it. It's more enjoyable when they compliment you to say, "I made it from scratch". Bottom line it's worth trying. If I can make a good pie crust you can too.

GRANDMOTHER'S SUPER FLAKY PIE CRUST

Steps:

• preheat oven to 350 F degrees (Fahreinheit).
• pour flour into medium bowl, add margarine using pastry blender (or crisscrossing with knives) until lumps are slightly smaller than pea-size.
• Add water. mix gently with fork until dough comes away from the sides of bowl. (you may need more water) be very gentle, and try not to mix too much.
• transfer half of dough to a sheet of wax paper lightly sprinkled with flour. sprinkle a little flour onto top of pie dough.
• cover pie dough with another sheet of wax paper.
• roll out so the pie crust is level, and not too thick in one place, or too thin in another. (about 11 or 12 inches in diameter).
• peel off top layer of wax paper from dough, and place pie pan on top of dough. carefully slide your hand underneath bottom layer of wax paper, and flip.
• Then,carefully peel the wax paper from pie dough, and ease into pan.
• repeat steps 4-8 with other half of dough.
• Bake for 15 min, or so or until golden brown in color.
• Fill with any pie filling!

BASIC FLAKY PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Whisk the flour and salt together in a medium size bowl. With a pastry blender, cut in the cold shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Drizzle 2 to 3 tablespoons ice water over flour. Toss mixture with a fork to moisten, adding more water a few drops at a time until the dough comes together.
• Gently gather dough particles together into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for at least 30 minutes before rolling.
• Roll out dough, and put in a pie plate. Fill with desired filling and bake.

FLAKY PIE CRUST (DAVID LETTERMAN'S MOM)

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, cut shortening into flour, sugar, and salt until the mix looks like cornmeal or small peas.
• In another bowl, slightly beat egg yolk and combine with milk and lemon juice. Add to flour mixture and mix by hand until it forms ball.
• Roll on well-floured pastry cloth with well-floured rolling pin. This pastry maintains its flaky qualities even after being rolled out a number of times.