Two of my favorite kitchen implements are my Graham Kerr "Bash and Chop" aka pastry scraper, ruler, scooper, butter cutter, etc., and my mother's 40+ year old wooden rolling pin. When I have a stretch of time and a flat of fruit before me, and I'm going to make a nice, big pie, these are my two best friends. I don't use the Graham Kerr thingy to chop and then scoop-- usually I use a small chef's knife-- but you could use it for that. It's just not as sharp as a knife. It is good for smashing garlic, which you could then chop and scoop with it, but I like to keep the garlic smells far away from my pie crusts. I used it to cut the shortbreads I made a few weeks ago.
I bought it originally because of my childhood fondness for Graham Kerr's PBS television show, which I mentioned in this post. (By the way, don't forget to use the "show older posts" link at the bottom of this page if you want to see a lot more of the stuff I've written.) I have had it since college, and it's come in very handy.
When I left home at 19 (it's funny to think of it that way, because home had already sort of left me-- my parents divorced, my mom and sister moved out, my room was empty, my dad recarpeted and repainted the house and it smelled like we'd never been there) but anyway, when I left, I took with me my mother's "cookie bowl," cookie fork, rice steamer, and rolling pin. I still have everything but the cookie fork, which was too bendy anyway.
If you have too much summer fruit, and a good stretch of time, here are a couple of good pie crust recipes. Different fruits require different amounts of thickener and/or sugar, so you're on your own there. All of the food magazines on the newstands now have at least one pie recipe, so there are plenty of reference materials available. Nothing better than a pie cooling on the counter. Except maybe warm pie with vanilla ice cream. I am picking up a flat of peaches today, so we may just have a peach pie this week. I plan to make a couple of peach or plum upside down cakes for birthdays next week as well, and will post those.
Flaky Pie Dough
Food and Wine Magazine, August 2007
makes enough for one 9 1/2 inch deep-dish, double crust pie
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2" dice
1/4 cup lard (or crisco) frozen and cut into 1/2 cubes
1/2 cup ice water
Method
In a food processor (or with a fork) mix the flour and the salt.
Add the butter and lard and cut in (with a food processor or pastry blender) until they are the size of peas.
Drizzle on the ice water and pulse just until the crumbs are moistened.
Press the dough into a ball. Divide the dough into two pieces, one slightly smaller than the other.
Flatten into disks, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes.
(I go ahead and roll out my lower crust and press it into the pan before I chill it-- it is easier to manage.) I haven't tested this recipe yet.
Here's one I have tested, from Fine Cooking, August-September 2001:
All Butter Pie Crust
Ingredients
8 oz. 1 cup cold unsalted butter
9 oz. (2 cups) all-purpose unbleached flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup cold water
Method
Same as above. As I mentioned, I roll my crusts to full size first, press the bottom crust into the pan, and chill both crusts. It's much easier than trying to roll out a cold dough. Fine Cooking suggested filling the pie, putting the top crust on, and chilling the whole thing. You might try that, too.
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