Surprise Pie Dough Recipes

AUTUMN SURPRISE PIE

Steps:

• Mix the first 4 ingredients; cut in butter until crumbly. Mix milk and vinegar; add gradually to crumb mixture, tossing with a fork until dough holds together when pressed. Divide dough into 2 portions, 1 slightly larger than the other. Shape each into a disk; cover and refrigerate 1 hour or overnight., Preheat oven to 425°. On a lightly floured surface, roll larger portion of dough to a 1/8-in.-thick circle; transfer to a greased 9-in. pie plate. Trim crust even with rim. Refrigerate while preparing filling., Mix the first 5 filling ingredients. Place apples, pears and raisins in a large bowl. Add sugar mixture and extract; toss to combine. Spoon into crust., Roll out remaining dough to a 1/8-in.-thick circle; cut into 3/4-in.-wide strips. Arrange over filling in a lattice pattern. Trim and seal strips to edge of bottom crust; flute edge. Brush lattice with beaten egg. Sprinkle with coarse sugar., Bake pie on a lower oven rack 15 minutes. Reduce oven setting to 350°. Bake until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly, 30-35 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

PERFECT PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Dice the butter and return it to the refrigerator while you prepare the flour mixture. Place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse a few times to mix. Add the butter and shortening. Pulse 8 to 12 times, until the butter is the size of peas. With the machine running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse the machine until the dough begins to form a ball. Dump out on a floured board and roll into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Cut the dough in half. Roll each piece on a well-floured board into a circle, rolling from the center to the edge, turning and flouring the dough to make sure it doesn't stick to the board. Fold the dough in half, place in a pie pan, and unfold to fit the pan. Repeat with the top crust.

BASIC PIE DOUGH FOR SPINACH AND GRUYERE QUICHES

Steps:

• In a food processor, combine flour, salt, and sugar; pulse to combine. Add butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining.
• Sprinkle with 1/4 cup ice water. Pulse until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed (if necessary, add up to cup more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time). Do not overmix.
• Transfer half of dough (still crumbly) onto a piece of plastic wrap. Form dough into a disk 3/4 inch thick; wrap tightly in plastic. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour (and up to 3 days). Repeat with remaining dough.
• Place one disk of dough on a lightly floured piece of waxed paper. Rolling from center outward, form into a 14-inch round. Using paper, lift and wrap dough around a floured rolling pin; carefully unroll (discarding paper) over a 9-inch pie plate.
• Gently fit dough into bottom and sides of plate. Avoid stretching or tearing dough. Using kitchen shears, trim overhang to 1 inch; fold under to form a rim. Crimp with fingertips and knuckle. Repeat with remaining disk of dough.

PIE DOUGH

Steps:

• Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Cut in butter and lard using a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Add 2 tablespoons water and continue mixing. Add remaining 3 tablespoons water, one at time, mixing well after each addition, until dough just comes together.
• Turn dough out onto a clean work surface. Divide in half, and place each half on a piece of plastic wrap. Shape into flattened discs. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 days before using.

PIE DOUGH

Steps:

• In the bowl of a food processor combine the butter, flour and salt. Pulse, pulse, pulse until the mixture looks like finely grated cheese. Add half of the ice water and pulse again. The mixture should start to come together to form a rough ball; if it still seems dry add the remaining water and pulse until it has formed a rough ball. Remove the mixture from the food processor to a clean work surface and form it into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. This can be done a few days in advance.
• When using the dough, remove it from the refrigerator 20 to 30 minutes before using to allow it to soften up a bit. Dust the dough and a work surface with flour. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out evenly in all directions. In between rolls it is a good idea to rotate the dough a quarter of a turn and dust it lightly with flour if it feels tacky. This will prevent the dough from sticking to the work surface and help it to roll out evenly. Roll the dough into a circle about 1/8-inch thick.
• Lay the dough in a lightly greased 9-inch pie plate. There should be about a 1/2-inch of dough hanging over the sides of the pie plate. If there is more than that, trim it with a sharp pair of kitchen shears. Fold the dough underneath itself around the rim of the pie plate and pinch or crimp into desired shape.
• Fill the dough with desired filling and bake according to the recipe you are using or dock (poke holes all over the dough with a fork) and blind bake. To blind bake: Line the dough with foil and fill with pie weights, raw rice, or dried beans. Bake in a preheated 425 degrees F oven for 10 to 12 minutes, remove the foil and beans and bake for 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove the pie shell from the oven and cool. The dough should be golden and crisp. Continue with desired filling.
• Voila!!!

PIE DOUGH

Steps:

• Stir together the flour and salt with a fork to blend. Cut the fat into the flour using a food processor, pastry blender, or 2 knives. (For pies with liquid fillings like custard or cooked fruit fillings that are thickened with cornstarch or tapioca, the bits of fat should be evenly small, and the mixture should resemble a coarse meal. This will result in a mealy pie crust, which is less likely to become soggy as the pie bakes. For pies to be filled with fruit or another nonliquid filling, leave some bits of fat in larger pieces, about the size of a small pea, for a crisp and flaky texture in the baked crust.)
• Drizzle a few tablespoons of the ice water over the surface of the flour mixture and quickly rub the water into the flour. Continue to add the water, a tablespoon or so at a time, just until it holds together when you press a handful of it into a ball. The dough should be evenly moist, not wet, and shaggy or rough in appearance.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Gather and press the dough into a ball, wrap well, and let chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
• Unwrap the dough, place it on a lightly floured work surface, and scatter a little flour over the top. Alternatively, place the dough between sheets of parchment or waxed paper. Roll out the dough for the bottom crust of a pie into an even round about 13 inches in diameter (for a 9-inch pie pan). It should be about 1/8 inch thick.
• Fold the dough in half or roll it loosely around the rolling pin, and gently lift and position it over the pan. Unfold or unroll and ease the dough into the pan without stretching, making sure that the pan sides and the rim are evenly covered. Press the dough gently against the sides and bottom. Trim the overhang to 1 inch. Tuck the dough overhang under itself and flute the edges. Fill and bake the pie according to recipe directions.
• Pie doughs may be soft and difficult to roll either because they are too warm, a little too much water has been added to the dough, or the weather is humid. Using marble pastry boards and rolling pins, which stay cooler than the surrounding air, helps to keep pastry dough cool and easy to handle. Another trick to working with pie dough is to roll out the dough between two pieces of parchment or waxed paper. This technique can be a big help to the novice baker.

SURPRISE PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
• Beat egg whites until soft peaks form.
• Add baking powder. Beat a few seconds.
• Fold in alternately sugar, cracker crumbs and nuts.
• Add vanilla mixing gently.
• Pour into a buttered 8 or 9 inch pie plate.
• Place in oven and reduce temperature to 250 degrees.
• Bake 45 minutes.
• Cool and place in fridge to chill.
• Cover with Cool Whip and return to fridge for at least 2 hours before serving.

PEACH SURPRISE PIE

Steps:

• Combine softened cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract in a medium mixing bowl. Mix until smooth. Spread onto bottom of baked pie shell. Chill several hours or overnight.
• Before serving, top cream cheese layer with drained peach slices. Mix raspberry preserves with lemon juice until well combined. Spoon over peaches. Garnish with mint sprigs.

ALL-PURPOSE PIE DOUGH

Steps:

• Using your fingertips or the pulse function of a food processor, blend together the flour, fats and salt until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. There should be pebbles of butter throughout the mixture.
• Add egg yolk and vinegar to 1/4 cup ice water and stir to combine. Drizzle 4 tablespoons of this mixture over the dough and gently stir or pulse to combine. Gather a golfball-size bit of dough and squeeze to combine. If it does not hold together, add a little more of the liquid and stir or pulse, then check again. Repeat as necessary.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gather together into a rough ball. You want to be careful not to overwork the flour, but not too careful; the dough should hold together. Divide the ball in half with a knife or a pastry scraper, then divide each portion in half again, and again, to create eight portions. Using the heel of your hand, flatten each portion of dough once or twice to expand the pebbles of butter, then gather the dough together again in one ball. Divide this ball in half.
• Flatten each ball into a 5- or 6-inch disc and dust lightly with flour. Wrap the discs in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 60 minutes.

SURPRISE PIE DOUGH

Steps:

• Cream together the butter, cream and cheese. If using a food processor, turn down to lowest setting.
• Add flour and mix till incorporated; stop--do not mix any more.
• Make 3 balls from the dough.
• Wrap in plastic wrap.
• Chill for an hour before using.
• Uncooked dough may be frozen for up to 2 months.
• Freeze in balls OR in pie tins.
• Makes (3) 10-inch pies.
• Bake at 450° for about 10 minutes.