Double-Crust Pie Dough

I realize every time I make pie that I end up typing out this recipe. It's actually a super simple, really great pie dough recipe. I didn't think I'd be able to make pie crust on my own ... or at least not make it well.

At any rate, I know me, and I wouldn't want to read through a different pie recipe every time I wanted to make pie. And I'm getting tired of putting this in every pie recipe I make. So ... it gets it's own post, and a link from now on.

Good luck with your flaky pie crusts!!

Double-Crust Pie Dough
(courtesy of The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook)

Yields: enough crust for 2-single crust 9" pies, or 1-double crust 9" pie
Prep time: 5 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes (includes 1 hour of chilling time)

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling out the dough
• 2 TBS sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 8 TBS vegetable shortening, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled
• 12 TBS (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces and chilled
• 6 to 8 TBS ice water

There are two methods here - one is using a food processor, the other is a hand-mixing method. I've only done this by hand.

1. Food processor method: Process the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor until combined. Scatter the shortening over the top & process until the mixture has the texture of coarse sand, about 10 seconds. Scatter the butter pieces over the top and, using short pulses, process the mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs, about 10 pulses. Transfer to a bowl.
2. Hand-Mixing method: Freeze the butter in its stick for until very firm. Whisk together the flour, salt, and sugar and press into the flour, using a fork. Grate the frozen butter on the large holes of a box grater into the flour mixture, then cut the mixture together, using two butter knives or a pastry blender, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
3. Continue for both methods: Sprinkle 6 tablespoons of ice water over the mixture. Press the dough together, using a stiff rubber spatula until the dough sticks together. If the dough does not come together, stir in the remaining water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it does.
4. Divide the dough into two even pieces and flatten each into a 4-inch disk. Wrap the disks tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. Let the chilled dough soften slightly at room temperature before rolling it out and fitting it into a pie plate. (Note: I like to flour 2 pieces of wax paper and roll the dough out between them, it leads to easier clean-up).

TO MAKE AHEAD: The dough can be refrigerated, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, for up
to 2 days or frozen for up to 2 months. Let the frozen dough thaw on the counter top until
malleable before rolling.

Spring is in the air with Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie

I love love love strawberry-rhubarb pie. If you've read other posts, you know it's hard for me to find people to eat fruit pie with. (well ... not hard, but nobody that lives in my apartment will eat a cooked fruit pie with me) But I was having a girls day the other day, and I had some rhubarb that I had picked up at the lovely and vibrant Union Square Farmer's Market. The rhubarb was just calling to me, I had to cook it.

I've never made a strawberry-rhubarb pie, but it's one of my favorites. Now, when I mentioned I was making this I got many questions asking "what exactly is rhubarb?". Basically it's a plant that is reddish green. Stalk sizes vary, the smaller the stalks the more tender. The leaves are toxic, but I've never bought it with the stalks on. Rhubarb has a nice tang to it, which is why it is usually paired with something sweeter such as strawberries. And there you have it in a nutshell. If you really want to know more, here is the Wikipedia article.

This pie is nice and light and tasty. And I forgot to take pictures. I guess you know what that means, I'll just have to make it again while rhubarb is still in season! But I wanted to share this with you now. So stay tuned. I'll get you pics.


Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie
adapted from The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

Prep time: 20 minutes plus time to prepare the crust
Total time: 1 hour 40 minutes plus cooling time

Ingredients

• 2 tsp vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 pounds rhubarb, trimmed, peeled, and cut into 1-inch lengths (5 - 6 cups) [NOTE: if the rhubarb is about the size of celery or smaller, you don't need to peel it]
• 1 to 1 1/4 cups plus 1 TBS sugar
• 1 recipe Double-Crust Pie Dough
• 1 quart strawberries, hulled and quartered
  
• 2 tsp grated orange zest (optional, but really .... is it?)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 TBS arrowroot (this is a thickener ... you can get it in the spice section of the grocery store)
  
• pinch of salt
• 1 egg white, lightly beaten

Directions

1. Adjust the oven rack to the lowest position, place a rimmed baking sheet on the rack and preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
2. Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until smoking. Add the rhubarb and 1/4 cup of the sugar. Cook, stirring frequently, until the rhubarb has shed most of it's liquid but is still firm, about 5 minutes. Spread the cooked rhubarb out over a plate and refrigerate until cool.
3. Meanwhile, roll out the crust to two 12-inch circles. Place the bottom crust into the pie plate.
   
4. Toss the cooled rhubarb, strawberries, orange zest and vanilla together. Mix 3/4 cup of the sugar, the arrowroot and the salt together. Then sprinkle the sugar mixture over the fruit and toss thoroughly. Add up to 4 more tablespoons of sugar if the fruit tastes tart.
5. Spread the fruit mixture in the unbaked pie crust bottom and pack it tightly.
6. Lay the top crust over the fruit, seal and crimp the edges, and cut eight vent holes (as opposed to the usual 4). Brush the crust with the egg white and sprinkle with the remaining 1 TBS sugar.
7. Place the pie on the heated baking sheet and lower the oven temp to 425 degrees F. Bake until the top crust is golden, about 25 minutes.
8. Rotate the baking sheet and reduce the oven temp again to 375 degrees F, and continue to bake until the juices are bubbling and the crust is deep golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes longer. Transfer the pie to a wire rack and cool to room temp before serving.

The pie can be stored at room temperature, wrapped tightly in aluminum foil, for up to 2 days.

A NOTE ABOUT PIE CRUST:
So, I've started enjoying making pie crust. It's pretty simple (or at least I think). Though, sometimes it's difficult to get a nice crusty dough and it's really easy to overwork the dough. That, and it does take some time. Some days I just don't have the time or desire to make my own pie dough. When that happens I like to use the Pillsbury Just Unroll and Bake pie crust. You can find it in the refrigerated section. It's pretty cheap and quite good!

Okay...enjoy this pie! You can have it plain, with a nice vanilla ice cream, or perhaps some whipped cream. It's really amazing just slightly warm.

Beautiful Blueberry Pie

I really love pie. I'm not going to lie. One of the things that I can't fathom is the fact that Matt doesn't like cooked fruit. Thus...fruit pies (which I do really really love) are lost on him, so I rarely make them because either I need to a) eat the entire pie myself, or b) find a minon of friends to eat the pie with me. Now, I could totally eat an entire pie myself ... but I try not to. And I do have many friends that are more than willing to help a girl out, but then I need to find a time and a place to mesh our schedules to make this happen.

So, I've taken the opportunity this weekend to make myself a pie. I'm hoping to not eat the entire thing by myself tonight, but I guess we shall see.

I actually made a multi-berry pie today, following this basic blueberry pie recipe.

So, here you have it:

Blueberry Pie
adapted from The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

Serves: 8
Prep Time: 15 minutes plus the time to prepare the crust
Total time: 1 hour 35 minutes plus cooling time

Ingredients

• 6 cups blueberries (30 oz) (or mixed berries)
  
• 3/4 to 1 cup plus 1 TBS sugar
• 3 to 4 TBS potato starch (can substitute corn starch)
• 3 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp grated lemon zest
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• pinch of nutmeg
• 1 recipe Double-Crust Pie Dough (below this recipe)
• 2 TBS unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1 egg white, lightly beaten

Recipe

1. Adjust an oven rack to the lowest position, place a rimmed baking sheet on the rack, and heat the oven to 500 degrees F. Toss the berries, 3/4 cup of sugar, 3 TBS of the starch, the lemon juice, lemon zest & spices together and let stand for 15 minutes. Add the remaining 1 TBS potato starch if the mixture has released too much liquid. Add up to 4 more TBS of the remaining sugar if the berries taste tart.
2. Meanwhile, roll out the top crust to a 12-inch circle. Spread the berries in the unbaked pie crust bottom and dot with the butter. Lay the other crust over the blueberries, seal & crimp the edges, and cut four vent holes. Brush the crust with the egg white and sprinkle with the remaining 1 TBS of sugar.
3. Place the pie on the heated baking sheet and lower the oven temperature to 425 degrees F. Bake until the top crust is golden, about 25 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet, reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F, and continue to bake until the juices are bubbling and the crust is deep golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes longer. Transfer the pie to a wire rack and cool to room temperature before serving.
4. TO MAKE AHEAD: The pie can be stored at room temperature wrapped tightly in aluminum foil, for up to 2 days.

Serve with ice cream, whipped cream, or just by itself!!



Double-Crust Pie Dough (courtesy of The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook)

Yields: enough crust for 2-single crust 9" pies, or 1-double crust 9" pie
Prep time: 5 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes (includes 1 hour of chilling time)

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling out the dough
• 2 TBS sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 8 TBS vegetable shortening, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled
• 12 TBS (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces and chilled
• 6 to 8 TBS ice water

There are two methods here - one is using a food processor, the other is a hand-mixing method. I've only done this by hand.

1. Food processor method: Process the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor until combined. Scatter the shortening over the top & process until the mixture has the texture of coarse sand, about 10 seconds. Scatter the butter pieces over the top and, using short pulses, process the mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs, about 10 pulses. Transfer to a bowl.
2. Hand-Mixing method: Freeze the butter in its stick for until very firm. Whisk together the flour, salt, and sugar and press into the flour, using a fork. Grate the frozen butter on the large holes of a box grater into the flour mixture, then cut the mixture together, using two butter knives or a pastry blender, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
3. Continue for both methods: Sprinkle 6 tablespoons of ice water over the mixture. Press the dough together, using a stiff rubber spatula until the dough sticks together. If the dough does not come together, stir in the remaining water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it does.
4. Divide the dough into two even pieces and flatten each into a 4-inch disk. Wrap the disks tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. Let the chilled dough soften slightly at room temperature before rolling it out and fitting it into a pie plate. (Note: I like to flour 2 pieces of wax paper and roll the dough out between them, it leads to easier clean-up).

TO MAKE AHEAD: The dough can be refrigerated, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, for up
to 2 days or frozen for up to 2 months. Let the frozen dough thaw on the counter top until
malleable before rolling.

Rustic Apple Pie

So, I think that I should just call all my desserts "rustic". They're not always pretty. But...they are always delicious. In my book that's what really counts.

This is one of my favorites...apple pie. A good American classic packed with taste. And apples are healthy, ergo...apple pie is healthy? Much to my dismay, however, Matt is not a fan of the cooked fruit. I know...I know. I love him anyway. It means that I have little excuse to make one of these unless I am taking it somewhere....or planning to eat the entire thing myself. While that would be delicious....perhaps, just perhaps, something I should avoid.

I like to make my pie with homemade applesauce & homemade pie crust. This is the crust I also used for my pumpkin & bourbon pecan pie, but will revisit the recipe here for easy access...

And without further ado:

Crunch Top Apple Pie
adapted from Paula Deen

Prep time: (not including the pie crust & applesauce) about 5 minutes
Cook time: About an hour, plus cooling time
Yields: 1-9" apple pie (serves 6 to 8)

Ingredients - Crust & Filling

• Dough for double crust 9-inch pie (recipe below, or frozen or refrigerated - I am a fan of the Pillsbury roll-out pie crust if I don't have time)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 TBS all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• dash of salt
• dash of nutmeg
• 3 1/2 cups peeled, chopped cooking apples (I find 2 varieties to give me the best taste - use what's in season if possible!)
• 16-ounces of applesauce (I've used jar to great success, but lately have been doing homemade - recipe below)
• 1 TBS lemon juice
• 2 TBS butter, chopped into small pieces

Ingredients - Crunch Topping

• 3 TBS all-purpose flour
• 1 TBS sugar
• dash of salt
• 1 TBS butter, at room temperature

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Line a 9-ince pie pan with half of the dough.
3. Combine sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt & nutmeg in a bowl. Stir in the apples, applesauce, and lemon juice.
4. Spoon apple mixture into pie pan and dot with butter.
5. Cut remaining crust into strips; arrange in a lattice design over top of the pie.
6. For crunch topping: combine flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Using a fork, cut in the butter until mixture is crumble. Sprinkle over top of the crust.
7. Bake at 425 F for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 F and continue to bake for about 45 minutes, or until crust and topping are golden brown.

Apple Sauce

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15 - 20 minutes
Yields - about 16 oz applesauce

Ingredients

• 3-5 medium apples - peeled, cut and chopped into 1 1/2" cubes (I like ginger gold, winesap, cameo, mutsu...any variety. I like to make my applesauce with 2 varieties of apples)
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/8 cup sugar
• dash of salt

1. Combine all the ingredients in a dutch over over medium-low heat.
2. Put lid on pot and cook until apples start to break up, 10-15 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and using a food mill process apples into sauce-like consistency. (If you don't have a food mill or prefer a chunkier applesauce, mash with a potato masher.)

If you like, you can season with cinnamon before serving.


Double-Crust Pie Dough
courtesy of The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

Yields: enough crust for 2-single crust 9" pies, or 1-double crust 9" pie
Prep time: 5 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes (includes 1 hour of chilling time)

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling out the dough
• 2 TBS sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 8 TBS vegetable shortening, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled
• 12 TBS (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces and chilled
• 6 to 8 TBS ice water

There are two methods here - one is using a food processor, the other is a hand-mixing method. I've only done this by hand.

1. Food processor method: Process the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor until combined. Scatter the shortening over the top & process until the mixture has the texture of coarse sand, about 10 seconds. Scatter the butter pieces over the top and, using short pulses, process the mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs, about 10 pulses. Transfer to a bowl.
2. Hand-Mixing method: Freeze the butter in its stick for until very firm. Whisk together the flour, salt, and sugar and press into the flour, using a fork. Grate the frozen butter on the large holes of a box grater into the flour mixture, then cut the mixture together, using two butter knives or a pastry blender, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
3. Continue for both methods: Sprinkle 6 tablespoons of ice water over the mixture. Press the dough together, using a stiff rubber spatula until the dough sticks together. If the dough does not come together, stir in the remaining water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it does.
4. Divide the dough into two even pieces and flatten each into a 4-inch disk. Wrap the disks tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. Let the chilled dough soften slightly at room temperature before rolling it out and fitting it into a pie plate. (Note: I like to flour 2 pieces of wax paper and roll the dough out between them, it leads to easier clean-up).

TO MAKE AHEAD: The dough can be refrigerated, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 2 months. Let the frozen dough thaw on the counter top until malleable before rolling.


Enjoy!!

Thanksgiving pies - Pecan & Pumpkin

A few weeks ago I decided to face my fear of pie dough. There have been certain baked items over the years that I have found a little intimidating, and really, the boxed ones are pretty good. First were brownies (I'll post my brownie recipe some day...), which I never found a good recipe. Then one day I did - so far superior to the boxed mix!

The other intimidating item was pie crust. I mean, Pillsbury makes a mean refrigerated version - you roll it out, it's delicious, easy. EVERYONE (including the folks on the Foodnetwork) say to use it. Why shouldn't I listen to the food network? But I felt like it was my dirty little secret that I, a baker, didn't make my own pie crust. So I rolled up my sleeves and made a pie crust. It was a little scary but a lot delicious, and really...not that much more work than going to the store and unrolling the boxed crust!

This year for Thanksgiving I decided to make EVERYTHING from scratch in the regards to pie. So, you've got the pie crust, you've got the pecan pie filling AND as a special bonus, you've got the home-made pumpkin pie made from an honest to goodness pumpkin!

Pumpkin Pie w/Puree

Yields: 1-10" pie or 2-9" pies
Prep time for puree: about 5 minutes
Cook time for puree: 15mins - 1 hour, depending on method chosen
Prep time for pie: about 10 minutes
Cook time for pie: 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes

The journey begins...with the pumpkin. Let's start with turning the pumpkin into pumpkin puree. Now, I got this recipe from this website, which has a lot of other fabulous recipe on making things from scratch.
Ingredients & tools for making pumpkin puree:
- A sharp, large, knife (for cutting the pumpkin)
- An ice cream scoop or large spoon
- A large roasting pan (if roasting, or microwaveable bowl or large pot if steaming)
- a pie pumpkin

Making Pumpkin Puree (to use in place of canned pumpkin)
Pie pumpkins are the smaller, sweeter variety of pumpkin. You do not want to get a big
jack-o-lantern pumpkin. You want a pumpkin that's going to be about 8" in diameter. It's like selecting any squash, look for one that is firm, no bruises or soft spots, and has a good orange color.

Now to prepare the pumpkin for cooking:

1. Wash the exterior of the pumpkin in cool or warm water. No soap is necessary
2. Cut the pumpkin in half - be careful not to slip and cut yourself!
3. Scrape out the insides. Get ALL the gooy stringy stuff out. A heavy ice cream scoop or large spoon works. You can save the seeds and either plant them to make more pumpkins for delicious pies next year or you can roast them.
4. Cook the pumpkin. Okay...so, there are a variety of ways that you can take care of these. You can steam it in the microwave or on the stove, or you can roast it. I chose to roast it hoping to maximize the pumpkin-y goodness. The most time efficient way is to go ahead and microwave it. I'll outline all your options, so you can choose (these are listed below)
   
5. Once the pumpkin is cooked and soft, scoop out the cooked pumpkin. Do this using a broad, smooth spoon - a tablespoon will work great - and the pumpkin will separate quite easily if it is cooked enough. Put it into a big bowl.
   
6. Puree the pumpkin into a nice, smooth consistency. Since I was at home, I got to use my Mom's lovely immersion blender. You can also use a regular blender or I bet food processor. In a pinch, use a hand mixer - it will just take a little longer.
7. That's it - you have pureed pumpkin!

To Roast your Pumpkin:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Put the prepared pumpkin in a roasting pan, flesh side down. Add enough water so it's just touching the pumpkin - you don't want to let the pumpkin dry out. Let it sit in there for 45 minutes to an hour, checking periodically by sticking it with a fork to see if it's soft.

Microwaving the Pumpkin:
Remove the stem and put the pumpkin in a microwaveable bowl. You may need to cut the pumpkin furter to make it fit, but remember: the fewer the number of pieces, the easier it will be to scoop out afterwards. Put a couple of inches of water in the bowl, cover it, and put it in the microwave. Cook for about 15 minutes on high and check to see if it's soft. Repeat in smaller increments of time until it is soft enough to scoop the innards out. Normally it takes 20 or 30 minutes in total.

Steaming the Pumpkin on the stove top:
Place your steaming basket or grid in the bottom of a large pot. Add enough water so it woun't bol dry in 20 minutes, and yet is not so high that the pumpkin is touching the water level. You may need to add more water during the cooking. Add the pumpkin and get the steamer going. The cooking time is only between 8 and 12 minutes, depending on the range. The pumpkin should literally fall off the skin.

Okay...so now you've got your pumpkin puree. The hardest part is done. You can stop here and refrigerate it over night, if you want. If you do this some of the liquid may separate and I would suggest dabbing that off before moving on to making the pie.

Next: make the pie crust (I'll go over the pie crust below both of these filling recipes).

You've got the pie crust, you've got the pumpkin puree, now time for the pie!

Pumpkin pie ingredients:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• 1 tsp ground allspice
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp salt (optional - I didn't use any)
• dash of nutmeg
• 4 large eggs
• 3 cups pumpkin puree (this is about the amount made by an 8" pumpkin, FYI)
• 1 1/2 cans (12 oz. each) of evaporated milk (low-fat versions okay)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Mix all the ingredients together well. A hand blender or mixer will be helpful. The filling is a little runny, be warned.

Next, put your pie crust in your pie dish. This recipe is good for either 2 - 9" pumpkin pies, or
1 - 10" pie. And it makes a pretty full pie at that!.

Bake the pie at 425 degrees F for 15 minutes. Then, trun the temperature down to 350 degrees F and bake for another 45 to 60 minutes, until a clean knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cool the pie and enjoy!!


Moving on...Pecan Pie.
I tend to use a lot of recipes from Paula Deen, so it's no surprise that I have this recipe courtesy of the Lady herself. You can find the original recipe here, though there is one difference between the internet recipe and the one found in her cookbook, the Lady and Sons Just Desserts. This pie is a variation on her Dark Rum Pecan Pie - also delicious!

Yields: 1 9-inch pie (6 to 8 servings)
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sugar
• 3 TBS butter, melted
• 1/2 cup dark corn syrup
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups pecan halves (I actually use 2 - 2 1/2 cups myself)
• 2 TBS good-quality bourbon (though in the cookbook it says 1 TBS is for the pie, and 1 for the cook - using 2 TBS will result in a slightly runny pie)
• 1 9-inch deep-dish pie shell, unbaked

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, stir together the sugar and melted butter. Add the corn syrup, eggs, pecans and bourbon. Stir until all the ingredients are combined. Pour the mixture into an unbaked pie shell, and place on a heavy-duty cookie sheet. (Note: I usually feel there aren't enough pecans at this point and usually add a few more to the top. You really can't have enough pecans in a pecan pie, can you?). Bake for 10 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F, and continue to bake an additional 25 minutes, or until pie is set. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.

Okay. So, you've got your fresh pumpkin pie filling, you've got your pecan pie filling - now the PIE CRUST!

Double-Crust Pie Dough (courtesy of The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook)

Yields: enough crust for 2-single crust 9" pies, or 1-double crust 9" pie
Prep time: 5 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes (includes 1 hour of chilling time)

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling out the dough
• 2 TBS sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 8 TBS vegetable shortening, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled
• 12 TBS (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces and chilled
• 6 to 8 TBS ice water

There are two methods here - one is using a food processor, the other is a hand-mixing method. I've only done this by hand.

1. Food processor method: Process the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor until combined. Scatter the shortening over the top & process until the mixture has the texture of coarse sand, about 10 seconds. Scatter the butter pieces over the top and, using short pulses, process the mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs, about 10 pulses. Transfer to a bowl.
2. Hand-Mixing method: Freeze the butter in its stick for until very firm. Whisk together the flour, salt, and sugar and press into the flour, using a fork. Grate the frozen butter on the large holes of a box grater into the flour mixture, then cut the mixture together, using two butter knives or a pastry blender, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
3. Continue for both methods: Sprinkle 6 tablespoons of ice water over the mixture. Press the dough together, using a stiff rubber spatula until the dough sticks together. If the dough does not come together, stir in the remaining water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it does.
4. Divide the dough into two even pieces and flatten each into a 4-inch disk. Wrap the disks tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. Let the chilled dough soften slightly at room temperature before rolling it out and fitting it into a pie plate. (Note: I like to flour 2 pieces of wax paper and roll the dough out between them, it leads to easier clean-up).

TO MAKE AHEAD: The dough can be refrigerated, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, for up
to 2 days or frozen for up to 2 months. Let the frozen dough thaw on the counter top until
malleable before rolling.

So...hopefully you enjoy these recipes from scratch. Enjoy & Happy Thanksgiving!!