Crusts

Pie Crust - All Butter

2 1/2 Cups  flour
2 TBS sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 Cup unsalted butter
1/2 Cup and 2 TBS Cold water
In a bowl mix flour, sugar and salt together.  Cut the butter into small pieces, then add to the bowl.  Use pastry cutter to cut into the flour until pea size pieces of butter.  Add the ice water and mix until the mixture is crumbly but holds together when pinched.  Dump dough onto parchment paper and pull dough together.  Refrigerate before rolling out.

Lion House Pie Crust

Ingredients

1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup lard
1/4 cup margarine
1/3 cup shortening
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon nonfat dry milk powder
1 1/2 cups pastry flour
1 1/2 cups bread flour
1/2 cup cold water (may need 1 tablespoon more water)

Directions:

In a mixer, cream together butter, lard, margarine, and shortening. In a bowl, mix sugar, baking powder, salt, and dry milk powder together. Then add to the creamed butter mixture and mix briefly. Add pastry flour and beat until it is blended. Add bread flour and mix slightly. Pour water in and beat again only until water is incorporated.

Divide dough into 2 or 3 balls. Roll out on floured board. Line pie pan with dough and cut off excess dough. For baked pie shells, flute edges. Prick holes in bottom with fork and bake at 425° for 12–15 minutes or until light golden brown. For fruit pies and other pies that bake in the crust, fill pie shell and follow instructions for particular pie recipe you are using.

Note: All-purpose flour can be used instead of the combination of bread and pastry flour. The crust can also be made using the traditional pie crust method: by hand-cutting fats into the dry ingredients.

Graham Cracker Crust

Just three ingredients and 15 minutes to make a perfect tender crust. 

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs , about 12 full sheets, crushed
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 6 Tablespoon butter , melted

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter in a small bowl.
3. Pour crumb mixture into an 8" - 9.5" pie pan and press it firmly in the bottom of the pan and a little bit up the sides of the pan.
4. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
   
   
   

   No-Bake Cookie Pie Crust Recipe

   Ingredients

   • 2 cups fine cookie crumbs (I used Nilla Wafers)
   • 1 stick of butter, melted (may need more or less depending on cookie used)
   • ⅓ cup of sugar (can use less)

   Instructions

   1. Place all ingredients into a bowl.
   2. Stir together with a fork until large crumbs appear.
   3. Carefully, press evenly into a deep dish pie crust.
   4. Freeze for 20 minutes.
   5. Pie crust is now ready for a filling of your choice.

   Notes

   ~TIPS~
   You may need to decrease or increase the butter and sugar depending on the cookie you use.
   This recipe makes a thick crust for a deep dish pie. You will not need all the mixture if using a regular sized pie or if you like thinner deep dish crust.

   
   

   Oreo Cookie Crust

   

   
   

   • 28 whole Oreo cookies
   • 6 + 1/2 tablespoons salted butter, melted

   ---

   Instructions

   1. Add the Oreo cookies and melted butter to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the cookies are reduced to fine crumbs.
   2. With a spatula, transfer the cookie crumb mixture to a 9- or 10-inch pie dish. Spread the mixture evenly on the bottom and sides of the pie dish. Press down firmly with your spatula to compact the Oreo cookie crust.
   3. For no-bake recipes, refrigerate the Oreo cookie crust for 30-40 minutes before adding the filling. For a slightly firmer, crispier crust – bake it for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove the pie dish from the oven and allow the Oreo cookie crust to cool completely before adding the filling. Enjoy!

   TIPS FOR PUFF PASTRY

   1. Thaw your frozen puff pastry (preferably in the fridge, overnight).

   Frozen puff pastry is a convenient alternative to homemade puff pastry, but it does require a little advance planning since it can’t actually be used in its frozen state. It needs to be thawed before it can be baked into something delicious, and doing so overnight in the fridge is the best approach. This allows the pastry to become pliable without softening too much.

   That said, if you forgot to take your puff out of the freezer last night and need to use it ASAP, hope is not lost! You can thaw frozen puff pastry at room temperature. The key is keeping an eye on it — you want to use it when it’s just ready to be unfolded and rolled, but before it’s softens too much so that the dough is limp and the butter is melting.

   2. Unfold your pastry only when fully thawed.

   Frozen puff pastry comes folded into a neat little package, which needs to be unfolded in order for you to use it. But don’t make the mistake of doing so too early! While unfolding the pastry is a minor step in cooking, it can cause the pastry to crack or break. If the pastry does start to crack, wait a few minutes and try again.

   
   
   
   
   
   

   3. Flour your work surface and your rolling pin.

   Next, you’ll want to flatten out your puff pastry — but before you do so, lightly flour not just your work surface but also the rolling pin. This will help the pastry to roll out smooth, and prevent any sticking and pulling.

   4. Use restraint with your rolling pin.

   Puff pastry is delicate and it requires some delicacy. If you over-roll or use too much force, you’ll roll our some of the flakiness (read: it won’t puff as much).

   5. Cut with care.

   If you’re cutting the puff pastry, do so with care. Use a sharp-edged cookie cutter for shapes or a paring knife or pizza-cutter if cutting into squares. If you’re using the entire puff pastry sheet (whole), it’s also a good idea to trim the edges. This will give your tart a clean edge and also makes it easier for pastry to puff up.

   6. All you need for a puffy crust is a paring knife and a fork.

   If you want to make a big tart — or little tartlets! — with puffed-up crusts, it’s easy to do. Just use a paring knife to score a border, then poke the inside with the tines of the fork. The edges will puff up and the center will stay down.

   7. Chill the pastry again before baking.

   Want a little extra assurance your puff pastry will really puff? Pop it in the fridge after working with it, while the oven preheats. This step gives the butter a chance to re-solidify, to get an even better result.

   8. Serve as soon as possible!

   Puff pastry won’t last forever. Make only what you’ll eat and make as close to serving as possible.