Help with pie crust, please?

L

lana-in-fl

Well-known member
We are all alone this Thanksgiving , but I have persuaded a friend and her daughter to come to us for dessert. (She can't come for the whole meal, because she has to cook that for her son, who is going to his fiance's, but wants his mom's cooking as leftovers!) So..... I have to make a pumpkin pie for her DD. I've never made one, as none of us like it much. Also, I don't even have a menu yet because I have been so incredibly busy, so everything is at the last minute. I found the recipe posted by Marsha , which looks good, but in the same link I found the piecrust recipe from DawnNYS that you just pat into the pan. That is MY kind of piecrust! Can I use it for this pumpkin pie? Can I prebake it? Or do I have to subject a traditional piecrust to my hot hands as DD#2 will not be here to make it for me?

WE will be eating Saveur's Chocolate Caramel tart, topped with fleur-de-sel!

Edited to say: And once I looked at the choc caramel pie recipe, I saw that it has a pat-in pie crust which is pre-baked, so I guess I could use that one twice? Do I add equal amounts if flour to replace the cocoa?

 
I would also like to know. I want to use it for a pecan pie.

My SIL decided that pecans were too expensive so she was only going to make pumpkin pie. It just isn't Thanksgiving without pecan pie. I am trying to save on expenses so I thought making the crust from scratch would work. I do want to try the pat in pie tin pan method though. Thanks, too!

 
If you don't mind non-traditional, my Black Garter Belt pie crust goes very well

with sweet potato, yam or pumpkin pie.

Basically, it's a cookie crust with pecans and it's definitely a PAT IN THE PAN dough.

No prebaking necessary. I do put a foil around the rim at midpoint because it will burn for the length of time necessary to set the filling.

No Garter Belt Needed (but Kinky Shoes Help) Crust:

1/2 C unsalted butter, soft
1/3 C sugar
1/2 tsp pure vanilla
3/4 C flour
2/3 C chopped pecans.

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g166/Finer_Kitchens/Marilyn_CakeBalls/Christian-Louboutin-shoes-Declic1.jpg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
1. Beat the butter and sugar together for 3 minutes or until the sugar is no longer gritty. Add the vanilla and then stir in the flour and pecans by hand. The dough will be incredibly soft and you will start to panic--thinking you need to add more flour. DON'T DO IT!

2. Grease and flour two 8" pie pans, including the rims. I know this sounds odd, but it helps with this crust as it tends to stick to the pan.

3. Split the cookie dough between the two pans, dip your fingers in extra flour and pat the soft dough into place. You won't be able to make a crimped rim with this; just keep the dough even all-around (sides 1/4" to 1/2" thick) spreading it as best as you can while standing around in spiked heels. That's it...up the sides and flatten the bottom. Stop licking your fingers! Yes, I know it's incredibly good, but you are on a mission here, girl. There's a man out there waiting to be seduced. PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER!!

4. Important: Place cookie shells in frig while you're making the filling to firm up the butter.

5. Split the filling between the shells and bake 1/2 hour uncovered. Then tent a piece of foil over the pie for another 20-30 minutes. The foil will help keep the crust from getting too brown. Cool on rack.

 
Yes the pat in the pan crust will work fine, Lana

Marilyn's crust would be delicious- I've made a similar one many times.

If you are using a pat in the pan crust use the one that Dawn posted because it is T&T. trying to sub ingredients in a pie crust recipe you are trying for the first time if you are not a seasoned pie crust maker could end up being a not so good experience.

I've used the pat in the pan type crust many times and it gives excellent results.

 
Here is my favorite pat in the pan pie crust recipe

I don't have Dawn's recipe handy so I will post one. I don't remember where I got this- probably here on the board:


NO-ROLL PIE CRUST

Makes one 10” crust

2 cups all-purpose white flour
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup vegetable oil (canola, corn)
3 tbsp cold milk


Place the flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl and mix with fingers or a fork until blended. In a measuring cup, combine the oil and milk and beat it with a fork until creamy. Pour all at once over the flour mixture and mix until flour mixture is completely moistened. Pat the dough with your fingers, first up the sides of the pie plate, then across the bottom. Fill the shell with whatever filling you will use, then moisten the edges of the crust and unfold a refrigerated pie crust over the top and seal & crimp.

For 3 crusts:

4-1/2 cups flour
4-1/2 tsp sugar
1-1/2 tsp salt
1-1/2 cup oil
8 tbsp cold milk

 
Hi Lana. It's good for one-crust pies so it should be fine for the pumpkin one

I pre-bake mine so it doesn't get a soggy crust but I don't think that was indicated in the original recipe.

Not sure what you mean about using it twice for the chocolate-carmel one.

 
does anyone else remember an episode of diners drive ins and dives where the ladies made huge apple

pies using a press in crust for both the top and bottom crust of these pies? don't know where their shop was, but it was amazing to watch. they flattened chunks of the dough and just layered it up around the apples, if I remember correctly. I couldn't find anything on the foodtv search.

 
Thanks very much, everyone!

I'll use Dawn's because I have to be traditional this time, and I'll pre-bake it, but I really have to try Marilyn's for something one day soon - it sounds amazing (and then there's the name and the shoes!).

 
Wow Angie- they used the pat-in crust for the top layer too?

When we had our diner a lot of times I used refrigerated roll out crust for the top but pat-in-the -pan crust for the bottom. How did they do the top crust?

 
I'll try to find the episode. it's an oldie. I was just mesmerized by their process. people came

from miles around for their pies. I remember them breaking off pieces of dough and then using the heal of their hand to smoosh it flat and layer, but not sure if they just layered the top or somehow made it meld together better. must search this one out.

 
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