Check out some of the wonderful recipes shared by members!
Jennifer's Rhubarb Strawberry Squares
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Erika's Dill Pickles
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Elaine Tully’s Award Winning Pastry and Pie Recipes
Pastry Recipe:
2 cups all purpose flour
¾ tsp salt
1 cup Crisco – COLD
Work with pastry blender till +/- the size of peas.
For liquid, combine:
1 egg
1 tblsp vinegar
COLD water to almost fill 1 cup
1 or 2 ice cubes
Add this in small amounts, stirring gently until it forms larger chunks that you can pat into a ball. You will use less than half of the liquid.
LESS HANDLING is the critical key to the best pastry.
Flour the pie plate, rolling pin, and work space. Set the ball of pastry on the counter and press down around the edges to help make a more even edge. Roll gently several times, pick it up and re-flour underneath and the rolling pin, then continue rolling until it is thin enough for the pastry. Pick it up and lay across the pie plate.
Trim around with scissors, then roll edge under to make a neat edge. Crimp with thumb/finger.
LARGE BATCH:
You can change up the recipe to a full package of Crisco, 4-1/3 cups flour, and 2 tsp salt and use all/most of the liquid. This will make enough pastry for a few pies, depending on whether you are doing single or double crusts. Line your plates, cut tops if you want them, and stack with waxed paper between, then seal in plastic bags and freeze.
They thaw quite quickly – less than an hour on the counter. Then use the same as a fresh one. Super handy at busy times to have the pastry made ahead.
APPLE PIE
5-6 apples depending on size of plate and size of apples (good cooking apples are Cortland, Empire, Paula Red, Spy)
Mixture of 1.5 tblsp flour, ½ cup white sugar, 1.5 tblsp brown sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/8 tsp allspice
Sprinkle mixture over bottom, slice in a layer of apples, sprinkle with mixture, and continue layering till level full or slightly rounded on top. Put a few dabs of butter around the top.
Roll out and cut your top crust. I use a bowl just a touch smaller than the pie plate as a cutting template. Add the top crust and slash with steam vents.
Bake at 400 for 50 mins to an hour. It should be bubbling well and the apples tender to a knife to be done.
PECAN PIE
Stir together briskly 2/3 cup sugar, dash salt, 1/3 cup melted butter. Add 1 cup corn syrup and stir well.
Beat in 3 eggs, one at a time, then 1 cup pecans. Pecans can be either halves or chopped – the chopped make it easier to cut the pie – the halves make it picture perfect.
Pour into the shell and bake at 350 approx 50 minutes. When you jiggle it, the filling should be not moving. Or stick in a knife near the centre and it will come out clean. For me the jiggle test is the most reliable.
LEMON MERINGUE PIE
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
Whisk together and add 2 egg yolks, finely grated rind of 1 lemon.
Combine juice of two lemons and hot water to total 2 cups. Whisk slowly into the mix.
Microwave 2 mins high - whisk - another 1 minute - whisk - until thickened. May take a bit more cooking - go till it's thick. Let cool - cover top with waxed paper right on the top.
I usually let it cool for a half hour or hour depending on how much time you have. Turn into a baked and cooled 9 inch pie shell. Top with meringue:
3 egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
Whip till peaks form, then gradually add 1/2 cup sugar. Beat till stiff peaks form, always scraping sides of the bowl.
Put on top of pie, sealing to crust around edges. Swirl around top to make it look the way you want it to. Bake at 375 about 20 minutes - till nice and brown.
Pastry Recipe:
2 cups all purpose flour
¾ tsp salt
1 cup Crisco – COLD
Work with pastry blender till +/- the size of peas.
For liquid, combine:
1 egg
1 tblsp vinegar
COLD water to almost fill 1 cup
1 or 2 ice cubes
Add this in small amounts, stirring gently until it forms larger chunks that you can pat into a ball. You will use less than half of the liquid.
LESS HANDLING is the critical key to the best pastry.
Flour the pie plate, rolling pin, and work space. Set the ball of pastry on the counter and press down around the edges to help make a more even edge. Roll gently several times, pick it up and re-flour underneath and the rolling pin, then continue rolling until it is thin enough for the pastry. Pick it up and lay across the pie plate.
Trim around with scissors, then roll edge under to make a neat edge. Crimp with thumb/finger.
LARGE BATCH:
You can change up the recipe to a full package of Crisco, 4-1/3 cups flour, and 2 tsp salt and use all/most of the liquid. This will make enough pastry for a few pies, depending on whether you are doing single or double crusts. Line your plates, cut tops if you want them, and stack with waxed paper between, then seal in plastic bags and freeze.
They thaw quite quickly – less than an hour on the counter. Then use the same as a fresh one. Super handy at busy times to have the pastry made ahead.
APPLE PIE
5-6 apples depending on size of plate and size of apples (good cooking apples are Cortland, Empire, Paula Red, Spy)
Mixture of 1.5 tblsp flour, ½ cup white sugar, 1.5 tblsp brown sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/8 tsp allspice
Sprinkle mixture over bottom, slice in a layer of apples, sprinkle with mixture, and continue layering till level full or slightly rounded on top. Put a few dabs of butter around the top.
Roll out and cut your top crust. I use a bowl just a touch smaller than the pie plate as a cutting template. Add the top crust and slash with steam vents.
Bake at 400 for 50 mins to an hour. It should be bubbling well and the apples tender to a knife to be done.
PECAN PIE
Stir together briskly 2/3 cup sugar, dash salt, 1/3 cup melted butter. Add 1 cup corn syrup and stir well.
Beat in 3 eggs, one at a time, then 1 cup pecans. Pecans can be either halves or chopped – the chopped make it easier to cut the pie – the halves make it picture perfect.
Pour into the shell and bake at 350 approx 50 minutes. When you jiggle it, the filling should be not moving. Or stick in a knife near the centre and it will come out clean. For me the jiggle test is the most reliable.
LEMON MERINGUE PIE
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
Whisk together and add 2 egg yolks, finely grated rind of 1 lemon.
Combine juice of two lemons and hot water to total 2 cups. Whisk slowly into the mix.
Microwave 2 mins high - whisk - another 1 minute - whisk - until thickened. May take a bit more cooking - go till it's thick. Let cool - cover top with waxed paper right on the top.
I usually let it cool for a half hour or hour depending on how much time you have. Turn into a baked and cooled 9 inch pie shell. Top with meringue:
3 egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
Whip till peaks form, then gradually add 1/2 cup sugar. Beat till stiff peaks form, always scraping sides of the bowl.
Put on top of pie, sealing to crust around edges. Swirl around top to make it look the way you want it to. Bake at 375 about 20 minutes - till nice and brown.
