Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Demise Pie Crust

A recent email from a client closed with this:
"Still adore you; still plotting your demise"

and this:
Bonus pie crust recipe
(not because you have a kitchen, but because this pie crust is so good it ALMOST only exists in the Mind of God; also because Thanksgiving; also because REASONS).

1/2 cup butter
2 generous cups flour
5 egg yolks + 1T COLD water
ice cubes
1/2 t salt (only) if for a savoury pie;
1 - 2 T sugar if for a dessert pie
flour for dusting the board
eggwhites/milk for glazing shiny awesomeness

Cut flour, salt and/or sugar and butter together till crumbly; set aside

Beat egg yolks and water gently till smooth, then add 2-4 ice cubes, depending on how big the yolks were, to be sure that what you add to the four mix is cold as the glance of a jaded whore, and runnier than yolks alone.

Fish out the icecubes before they've added more than about 1 additional T of melt-off to the yolks.

Mix briskly till just folded in, and, working quickly so the dough doesn't get too warm, dust the board and roll out.

Makes two open pies or one 2-crust pie shell.



I may have to borrow an oven to try it out! Are you making pie for Thanksgiving? What's your favorite?

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

This crust is a keeper...for another day because I am not making pie - my guests are though! Mom is bringing a traditional pumpkin (she makes a homemade crust too), brother in law is bringing chocolate, and my mother in law is bringing...not PIE, but pound cake (love love) and pumpkin cheese cake. What all this means is...hubby and I are hosting both families here for Thanksgiving dinner - about fifteen people. Excited but nervous! Timing is everything with Thanksgiving dinner.

NotaWarriorPrincess said...


This client of yours is a GENIUS.

(I presume.)

Craig F said...

I live in Paradise and one of the problems with paradise is the lack of consistent weather. For both Thanksgiving and Christmas I make my Molasses Custard Pecan Pie and a Pumpkin Pie every year. I also make either a Florida Blueberry Pie (crumb topped with key lime juice)or a Key Lime Pie. I also send the Pecan one to a couple of my distributors. They have a choice and always pick the pecan.

Because of the weather and humidity I can not get my pie crusts to stay consistent so I cheat and buy frozen ones.

Steve Stubbs said...

A comment and a question, The comment: pie crust so good it almost exists only in the mind of God is obviously fiction. That’s what fiction writers send to literary agents, I assume. Unless they are non-fiction agents, that is.

And the question: if pie crust is that good, do you still need a pie to serve it with, or can you just serve the crust and call it a day?

And while we are at it, what really is the specific effect of gamma rays on man-in-the-moon marigolds?

LynnRodz said...

Steve, I just tried the recipe and it's so good you don't need to fill it with anything. Just serve as is, straight from the oven. (It taste better when it's still warm.)

I'll leave the answer to your 2nd question to the man-in-the-moon marigold experts!

Jennifer R. Donohue said...

Pie is the in-laws' purview. I'm making what the recipe refers to as "Cranberry Cake", but isn't tooth achingly sweet, so is much more like a dessert bread. If I can find my recipe, anyway.

Cindy C said...

I don't have plans to make a pie. I do, however, have plans to eat pie.

Her Grace, Heidi, the Duchess of Kneale said...

The Australians who surround me are bemused at this quaint little custom--called Thanksgiving--I brought with me from the Old Country.

It's one week until Summer and I'm baking a turkey? And pumpkin. pie. It's a dessert? (I assure them it is.) Until they taste it, they can't wrap their heads around it.

Yes, there will be much committing of pumpkin pie with homemade crust. I shall feast well.

Anonymous said...

I am on a quest to bake the ultimate pumpkin pie, beginning with cleaving and gutting a live pumpkin, slow-roasting it in the oven with butter, brown sugar spices, then scooping out all the golden deliciousness and whipping it into custard. It is possible this crust is worthy of my ultimate pie, but that shall remain to be seen.

Anonymous said...

I love eating, but I have never made a(n unboxed) pie. And for that, my guests are doubtless very thankful. Further, thank goodness my husband is a better cook than I.

Joelle said...

Let me guess. Bill Cameron?