baking breakthrough

Yesterday I Wal-Mart'd (bad in & of itself) with 4 littles, made dinner for 3 families, and dealt with countless other chaos....

but why do I count it as one of my best days ever?

I made 6 perfect pie crusts.  

Baking is my thing, but pie crusts have been my forever nemesis.  I patch, do-over, curse, and cry when it's pie crusting time because I have a deep-set fear born of many a failure.  Last fall, Cyn tired of my pastry lamenting and all of us girls got together for a demo.  In which I learned that my mother can make perfect pie crusts.  By feel.  And under her watchful eye I managed to do a decent replica.  But then Christmas came and I set out enthusiastically to crust on my own.  And realized I lack the inate feel-ability my Cyndee posesses.  Apparently it isn't genetic.  Because my crusts were awful, unrollable masses of dough that I ended up piecing and pushing into the pan to make sad excuses for pie.  

But those days of fear have ended.

Because yesterday I made SIX perfect crusts.  They rolled beautifully, flaked beautifully, browned beautifully smooth.  The key:  not using my hands at all.  While hands work wonders for bakers like Cyndee, mine definitely lacked the skill.  America's Test Kitchen (my favorite cooking source) uses a food processor to make crusts.  So does Martha.  Lacking a full-size food processor, I've never tried that method, but I do have a mini processor (only $30-40).  So that's what a tried.  One crust at a time. 

Small triumph, you may say, but triumph is triumph and fearless pie making will forever be welcome in my kitchen.  

showing off of flaky layers
a Grandma Jones pass-down tradition:
leftover pie crust sprinkled with cinnamon & sugar, then baked

 

chicken pot pie - perfect October dinner

Comments

[sista #2]

I can eat dozens of those sprinkled pie crusts!! My
favorite part of pie making ;) Your pot pie looks sooo
dee-lish!! ciao

[Marie]

I completely understand! I can bake anything, but pie crust. My mom's are perfect and every fall she and I get together and make dozens of apple pies for the freezer. I get a tutorial each time, and as long as she is there, they turn out fine. When I try to make one at home, it never rolls nicely and is tough, tough, tough.

Why is there even an expression like "Easy as Pie?" It is the hardest thing.

[Mandy]

I am so awful at making pie crusts! So awful. Your pot pie looks yummy. I made one the other night and while it wasn't pretty, it tasted good.

[Jill]

Wow, that's quite an accomplishment. The sideview of the pie crust cookies has me drooling, it looks perfect!

[Kim]

Isn't it the best feeling when you get it right? My nemesis is homemade candy. My grandma made the best caramels and pecan rolls, and I screw them up every time I try. I always love to see what you're cooking up, thanks for sharing your source of inspiration!

[lelly]

do you still have to roll? because the rolling is what get's me every time!! now, if my kitchen aid could roll, i might conquer my OWN fear of crust!!

[Tiffany]

How fun to have something turn out well! (Besides surviving the trip to WM!) I wish I had a good name for the leftover pie crust cinnamon sugar treats. Jill called them pie crust cookies--I've heard that one before--it's a good name. Sometimes I call them Crispies. What would be a good name for them? I grew up doing a pie crust called "Never Fail Pie Crust" it does work and tastes good--but you still deal with the sticking crust, manuvering, and all that. Looking forward to fall pie season!

[Kelly]

Oh, I can really relate to this! Pie crust is a nemesis for sure. My mom has this "no fail" recipe that works perfectly for her every time, and it just does not work for me. Ever. And it doesn't taste good. We did apple pie making at YW last night, and it was taught by a lady who is a cook I aspire to be like (much like YOU), and she used her food processor, and it worked so well. I wanted to come home and experiment, myself. I haven't had the time, but I'm going to work on it. The last few years I've resorted to the pillsbury "unroll and bake" crusts (which aren't bad), but I'd love to be able to do them myself.

The rolling gets me, too, but she had this cloth covered board to roll them out on -- it was fantastic. I had never seen anything like it. Her mother-in-law bought it for her on QVC of all things! She said it was the best thing she'd ever received from her mother-in-law who *only* shops on QVC. Anyway, the cloth held the flour there, and the dough didn't stick at all. It was a beautiful thing. I guess I'll have to see what channel QVC is. Ha!

But, I am thrilled you had a best day ever (especially one that included Walmarting).

[Michelle]

I would love to make a good pie crust!!! Perfect, I am not sure will ever happen at this household! You have to be one of the best cooks/bakers I know!!!! You need to open up a bakery! :)

[jenny c.]

That is HUGE! I remember my first pie crust and it was serious pain. Yay for six. I wish I could taste some of it....it looks divine.

[carlo]

oh how awesome! YUMMY YUM YUM> the cinn/sugar pie crusts were a tradition with my grandma, too. sniffle. i miss them. and her! i have not been brave enough to attempt it on my own...

[Barb]

Your pie crust cookie cross section photo is spectacular. So focused on the flakes, with the rest of the picture melting away. So nice photography, and nice baking.
I haven't struggled with pie crust to maybe the same extent, but I have converted to letting my machine do all the work, and that has made my pie baking much more consistent.

[Price Cream Parlor]

OH! I love the left over crust baked with cinnamon and sugar! 3 dinners and 6 pies? What is up? Are you feeding the masses?

[michelle]

Congratulations! That is an impressive feat. We make those cinnamon sugar scraps, too. Yum. Your chicken pot pie looks fabulous. I wish I was eating that tonight!