Pie–For Champions
There is an old adage that goes something like, “Easy as pie.” It’s a useful phrase for some experiences in life, but it seems to apply most accurately to things of moderate ease–we’re talking, like, planted a half dozen iris bulbs. Or maybe that’s just an indicator of how difficult I find making pies (or planting bulbs): not very, but it requires some focus and devotion, especially if you refuse to accept the sham of store-bought, hydrogenated oil-based crusts. The crust is the lynchpin, the axle, the whatever-you-need-to-continue-on-the-path-to-glory and should be treated as such.
This crust recipe came through the usual channels–Grandmother to mother to me. Grandmother was a Belgian who crossed the ocean to be with Grandfather, and she came with much knowledge of the wonder that is Belgian cuisine. She of course has stories, but one sticks out–a neighbor had a pie crust recipe that trumped anything she knew. The neighbor had developed the crust out of a desire to be healthy (away with shortening and butter), but all I can see is it makes one want to do nothing but make and eat pies. Tell me–can that be a bad thing? Ingredients and processes have been tweaked but minimally. Try it. I promise it’s easy (just focus), and your soul and taste buds will win all the prizes.
For a great standard, and for the season, we’ll do a pumpkin pie.
The Crust
1 cup white flour
Pinch of salt
3/8 cup vegetable oil (canola oil or Crisco will not suffice)
1/8 cup milk (1% or 2% works well)
2 sheets wax paper (each a little larger than your pie dish)
Measure the flour into a medium-sized mixing bowl. Add the salt and mix lightly.
Pour the veg oil into a measuring cup. Then pour in the milk; isn’t it cool how the milk sinks though? Slowly and evenly add the wet stuff to the flour. Mix until there are no more white clumps of flour. Everything should be of a uniform light brown and look like dough.
Now comes the rolling. Wet a counter space with a cloth. Lay one sheet of wax paper down on the wet area; this creates traction. With your hands, roll the dough in the bowl into a ball. Place the ball on the wax paper. Lay the second sheet over the ball and make it align with the sheet on the counter. Roll the dough flat until you’ve got a disc with a slightly larger circumference than the pie dish. Remove the upper layer of wax paper. Set it aside to use for the pie you’re going to make right after this one.
In one smooth motion, lift and flip the bottom-layer wax paper over the pie dish. The dough should settle in. Getting the dough off the paper is kinda tough, but be patient. Work at it by pushing from the non-dough side of the paper. When you’ve got the paper off, roll up the dough flopping over the edge of the dish. This is also your chance to repair any rips to the crust.
I’ll usually make little ridges in the rolled edges of the dough at this point. And that’s it.
The Filling
For the pumpkin pie filling, I honestly follow the recipe on a can of Libby’s pumpkin, which you’ll need to get anyway, along with the evaporated milk and eggs and spices. The can even has the temperature and times right. Combined with this crust there’s not much that can stop it.
by Ian Lasell
