Oh My, Let's Make Some Pie

I love pie. Who doesn't? But it seems that many people don't like the idea of making their own crust (quite honestly I can't imaging using a store bought crust). So I'm sharing the crust recipe I use (if i can do it anyone can). I'm also sharing 2 recipes I made this week using pie crust (one's sweet and one's savory). Both are delicious.

Take the time to make your own crust, you won't be sorry!!

Pie Crust

2 1/2 C all purpose flour

1t salt

1t granulated sugar

1C cold unsalted butter (cut in small pieces)

1/4-1/2 cup cold ice water

Mix flour, salt and sugar together in mixing bowl, cut in butter with a pasty blender, until it resembles course meal. Add ice water and mix (I use the pasty blender) until no longer crumbly, but not sticky. Wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour (I never do this. That would take more planning ahead than I'm capable of). This makes enough for 1 double crust pie or 2 single.

Now you're ready to get started on Irish Beef Hand Pies.

Irish Beef Hand Pies

1 T vegetable oil
¼ head green cabbage shredded (I chop mine so the kids won’t know it’s there)
½ pound red potatoes scrubbed and diced
1-pound ground beef sirloin
3 T tomato paste
½ t Worcestershire sauce
½ t dried thyme
Course salt and ground pepper
Home made pie crust (full recipe)

heat oven to 400

Heat oil over M heat, in a saucepan. Add potatoes and cabbage. Cook for about 7 minutes. Add beef and cook until no longer pink. Stir in tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, thyme and 1-cup water. Cover and cook until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Lightly mash mixture with fork. Add salt and pepper. Let cool.

Roll half of crust into a square (about 14 inches). Cut into 4 equal squares place ½C filling on one half of each square. Brush edges with water fold over and crimp with fork to seal. Make vent by poking top with tines of the fork.

Transfer to baking sheets bake until golden brown 10-12 minutes.

Trust me this recipe is a keeper. The recipe comes from Martha Stewart's, Every Day Food magazine.

Now, you'll want to whip up another recipe of pie crust dough (or a 1/2 recipe) so that you can make this super yummy, old fashioned pie.

Lemon Chess Pie

2 C sugar
1 T flour
1 T corn meal
¼ t salt
¼ C melted butter
2 t grated lemon rind
¼ C lemon juice
½ t vanilla
¼ C milk
4 eggs
1 unbaked 9-inch pasty shell

Combine Sugar, flour, cornmeal and salt. Add butter, lemon rind, lemon juice and milk, mix well. Add eggs one at a time, beating well with a wire whisk after each addition. Pour into pastry sell. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes.

Fancy That, I think I could eat pie for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!!

DeeLight