Sometimes when I think about sharing a recipe, I think, really, doesn’t everybody know how to make that? But yesterday while watching a certain food blogger with her own cooking show, toast saltine crackers (yes!! she really did toast saltine crackers on TV!) I think, maybe not. Oh, and just to be honest, I sat up and was like, WHAT, you can toast saltine crackers, who knew!!
I am not that great at consistency, but here goes, I’m calling this Food Friday. We’ll see if on any other Friday I talk about food. And maybe I can come up something more clever than Food Friday. Ideas?
I have been wanting to talk about pie crust for a while. Years ago, actually I was pregnant with my first child, we were on a little road trip and stopped for an overnight with my aunt. I don’t know about you, but I can remember meals from WAY back. I recall everything about the meal! It was all delicious! For dessert she served a KILLER pecan pie and she shared her pie crust recipe with me. I had always been very intimidated by pie crust but her recipe made it so simple! I use it all the time!
There are two things that make it unique. You use oil instead of shortening or butter and you roll it our between two layers of wax paper after the countertop has been dampened.
I have my grandmother’s bowl, which you obviously don’t have but it makes the whole experience extra special!
I had a friend over for pie making 101. After lunch we put her little one down for a nap, turned on some beautiful jazz music and went to work.
OK, y’all that is actually the original recipe that I wrote down 38 years ago! I try so hard to organize my recipes and get all techy but the truth is I love the memories that these old recipes hold!
After the two cups flour and one-half teaspoon salt are mixed lightly in your bowl with a fork, make a well and add your half cup of oil and your fourth cup of milk. Old recipes are funny, obviously you don’t have to use Wesson oil, and I don’t sift my flour, though it would probably be better. You can also use water instead of milk.
Starting in the center, stir until all the flour has been pulled in and it forms a ball. Divide the dough in half. At this point, get two pieces of wax paper. With a dish rag, dampen your countertop. Put one piece of wax paper on the damp countertop. Sprinkle flour on it and put your ball of dough in the middle. Sprinkle more flour on the top and then put the other piece of wax paper over that.
Now you are ready to roll out your dough. With quick strokes of the rolling pin, roll your dough into a circle slightly larger than your pie plate.
That’s my cute friend rolling out the dough, I wish you could hear the music, it was really a beautiful afternoon.
After rolling the dough, peel off the top wax paper and lay the crust over your pie plate. Then peel the other layer of wax paper off. Add your filling and continue with the top crust. Cut around the pie and flute the edges. Then pop it in the oven and bake it according to the pie recipe that you are making.
Two more things…I just called my Aunt Doris and she confirmed my suspicions, this crust would make a really small two crust pie, and it is actually too much for one crust. So after you get the technique down adjust your flour/oil/milk ratio for the size pie you are making. I was so glad that I called, we are going to have pie together soon! The other thing…I looked on Food Network just to see if they put the recipe for Toasted Saltines on there…they did not! Imagine that!
Well now didn’t that seem easy! I can’t believe it took me 711 words to describe this! I think you just need to come over, we’ll turn some beautiful music on, make coffee and make pies! See you next week (maybe) for Food Friday!
