Pie Crust and Butternut Squash Custard Pie!

Unbaked Pie Crust
(File Photo)

Thanksgiving Day is next week!  As we continue to plan our menu for this November holiday, thoughts of desserts and pies come to mind.  Will pie be included? In my family of course we will be enjoying a slice or two of different varieties of pies. We like pie!  

The next question will be what kind of pies do family members like? What kind of pies do I like? Decisions! Decisions! Decisions!  I bake most pies, as the expression goes "from scratch".  Yes, that includes prepping a pie crust.  I don't like the "store bought" crusts.  I also have the best recipe for homemade Pie Crust!  I will be preparing the whole recipe and using half of it for Butternut Squash Custard Pie!  I don't bake a pumpkin pie.  It is a long family tradition starting in my childhood to bake a delicious Butternut Squash Custard Pie! Click here for the recipe. It's worth the click!  

My Pie Crust recipe is one that my mom always used.  It is for a double crust- top and bottom crusts.  I cannot tell you where it came from, because I really do not know.  But, I do know that she always used it and her pie crusts were so good!  They were flaky and thin.  Sometimes, instead of baking a pie, she would roll out the bottom crust to fit inside a cookie pan.  Then, she would fill it with slices of apples, cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar and roll out the top crust and crimp the edges before baking.  We would call this dessert an Apple Square.  No, it was not square in shape, it was rectangular. It was a dessert that would last for quite a few days.  It needed a doubled recipe of Pie Crust to prepare it.

I have had my rolling pin for probably 50 years!  It is a Tupperware rolling pin that allows me to unscrew the cap on one end and pour iced water inside before screwing the cap back on.  The cold rolling pin works great!  I am not sure that they are available anymore.  Mine seems to have lasted forever!  I will be using my handy rolling pin the beginning of next week. 

The recipe for the delicious pie crust was called Plain Pastry for a Pie Crust.  I always use it and my pie crusts are thin and flaky, too!  The recipe is below.

Plain Pastry for Pie Crust
    Makes 2 crusts: lower and upper crust

Ingredients: 

2 Cups Flour
3/4 teaspoon salt- (I use a little less.)
2/3 Cup solid Vegetable Shortening- (I use Crisco.)
5- 6 Tablespoons Cold Water- (Sometimes I need an extra Tablespoon.)

extra Flour
Rolling Pin
Rolling Mat
Pastry Blender or 2 Knives

Method:     

1. Measure out shortening and refrigerate for 15- 20 minutes.
2. Place Flour and Salt in Mixing Bowl and combine.
3. Place solid Shortening on Flour/ Salt mixture.
4. With a Pastry Blender or using two knives cut shortening into Flour/ Salt mixture. It will look like small pebbles.
5. Add 5 Tablespoons of cold water to mixture and continue mixing. Add additional 1 Tablespoon Water and mix in.
6. If dough feels dry, add 1 additional Tablespoon Water and combine.
7. Dough will be soft and can easily be divided into 2 balls.  Divide into 2 balls.
8. Spread a thin layer- small amount of Flour on rolling mat.
   
9. Take one ball of dough and place on floured rolling mat.
10. Begin rolling dough into circular shape by rolling in one direction and then in another direction.
11. Continue this process until dough is thin and will fit into the pie plate. The dough needs to overlap pie plate so a fluted crust can be made before pie is baked.
12. If a top crust is needed, follow these same directions.  Place top crust on after filling is placed on bottom crust.
13. To flute pie crust: Trim dough that is overlapping edge of pie plate to about 1".  Use index fingers and thumbs of both hands roll both crusts together and place on top of pie plate edge. Go around entire pie.
    
14. Then, using index fingers and thumbs of both hands, crimp the dough that is on top of the pie plate edge. Right hand goes in one direction, left hand goes in opposite direction. Go around entire pie. The unbaked crust will be fluted. Now, move the fluted crust inside the edge, so later when slicing the baked pie, it will not break off. 

If you are baking a pie that needs only one crust like Butternut Squash Custard Pie does, there is that extra ball of dough. It never goes to waste here! It is a tradition of mine to bake Tasty Treats! They are my Part 2 of baking a Butternut Squash Custard Pie! 

Tasty Treats!
Yum!
(File Photo)

The dough is rolled out and Brown Sugar, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Raisins and Craisins are sprinkled on top. 

Tasty Treats
(File Photo)

The dough is then rolled like a Jelly Roll. Cut into slices and place on a cookie sheet. They are sooo goood!  Click here for the Tasty Treats recipe! 

Before placing in oven!
(File Photo)

Have you decided what pies your family will be enjoying on Thanksgiving Day? Butternut Squash Custard Pie is a great choice! Yes, we will be enjoying one. I have not decided on the other variety just yet. 

Prep your own Pie Crust!

Enjoy!
Yummy!