Our friend Alison of Ithaca's Food Web asked us to post our Thanksgiving menu - but since we weren't home, it didn't seem that relevant. I do dream of doing a local Thanksgiving meal, but am not ready to give up being pampered by relatives who really know how to whip up the traditional fare. I have become a pie baker for our yearly festivities, though, and discovered I took some photos of my apple pie. I love pie more than any other dessert - we even had pie at our wedding, rather than the traditional wedding cake. I love the crisp, flakey, buttery crust above all else, and the filling is really secondary to me. This year I used flour milled in Vermont, Massachusetts apples, and Maine butter to make this lovely holiday pie! It was a hit and had the crisp, flakey, buttery crust I crave.
Will you share your favorite crust recipe, pretty please? :)
ReplyDeleteNice! For xmas, I made a blueberry/ black raspberry pie for the first time ever (using frozen berries I'd picked over the summer) and it was good. But I think my favorite is still apple!
ReplyDeleteIf you're curious, here's our xmas menu: http://ithacasfoodweb.blogspot.com/2009/12/cooking-holiday-feast.html
Martha Stewart Living Cookbook p.12
ReplyDeletePate Brisee:
2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 t. kosher salt
1 t. sugar
1 c. (2 sticks) chilled, unsalted butter, cut in pieces
1/4 - 1/2 c. ice water
You can certainly do this by hand, but the recipe is for a food processor. Process flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor, add butter and process 'til the mixture resembles coarse meal (~10 seconds). Add ice water in a slow, steady stream *just* until the dough holds together - do not process for more than 30 seconds, and the amount of water will depend on the humidity. Turn the dough on to a work surface, handling as little as possible to keep the butter cold, and divide into two discs, cover in plastic, and chill. Refrigerate before using.