I make the crust - usually using 1/3 whole wheat flour (King Arthur makes a wonderful organic white whole wheat flour that doesn't toughen up the crust) and 2/3 AP flour (I like Bob's Red Mill organic unbleached all purpose). I'd been making oil pie crusts for years and it had worked out well, but recently, for whatever reason, it's been turning out too oily yet crumbly. I haven't changed the recipe - the flour and the oil are the same, so I don't know what's going on. Today, I decided to use the shortening crust. I'm a fan of Spectrum's Organic All-Vegetable Shortening. I don't feel as bad using shortening when I use this one. The crust was so nice and pliable with shortening instead of oil.
And while we're on the topic of crust, I saw a show about roadside diners on Food TV where this gal made a pie and left the edge all jagged. Ok, I know she covered it up with meringue, but the crust still peeked through a little bit, and it was ugly! I always thought I was pretty casual when it comes to looks for food that I make, but I'm not that casual. I love decorated edgea on my pies (or quiches).
Dh makes the filling once I've completed the crust. He combines several different recipes for a base and then wings the rests in terms of toppings. This is pre-baking:
And this is after they came out of the oven (I never make just one pie crust; if I'm going to dirty up a bowl, I may as well make at least 2 crusts):
Them's good eats! ;)"Happiness depends upon ourselves." ~ Aristotle (384 BC - 322 BC)
