Combination Butter/Shortening Crust from Simply Recipes
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons sugar
3/4 cup (a stick and a half) unsalted butter, chilled, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
1/2 cup of all-vegetable shortening (8 Tbsp)
6-8 Tablespoons ice water
1 Combine flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor; pulse to mix. Add the butter and pulse 4 times. Add shortening in tablespoon sized chunks, and pulse 4 more times. The mixture should resemble coarse cornmeal, with butter bits no bigger than peas. Sprinkle 6 tablespoons of ice water over flour mixture. Pulse a couple times. If you pinch some of the crumbly dough and it holds together, it's ready. If the dough doesn't hold together, keep adding water, a tablespoon at a time, pulsing once after each addition, until the mixture just begins to clump together.
2 Remove dough from machine and place in a mound on a clean surface. Divide the dough into 2 balls and flatten each into 4 inch wide disks. Do not over-knead the dough! Dust the disks lightly with flour, wrap each in plastic, and refrigerate for at least an hour, or up to 2 days before rolling out.
3 After the dough has chilled in the refrigerator for an hour, you can take it out to roll. If it is too stiff, you may need to let it sit for 5-10 minutes at room temperature before rolling. Sprinkle a little flour on a flat, clean work surface and on top of the disk of dough you intend to roll out. (We use a Tupperware pastry sheet that has the pie circles already marked.) Using a rolling pin, apply light pressure while rolling outwards from the center of the dough. Every once in a while you may need to gently lift under the dough (a pastry scraper works great for this) to make sure it is not sticking. You have a big enough piece of dough when you place the pie tin or pie dish upside down on the dough and the dough extends by at least 2 inches all around.
4 When the dough has reached the right size, gently fold it in half. Lift up the dough and place it so that the folded edge is along the center line of the pie dish. Gently unfold. Do not stretch the dough.
5a If you are only making a single crust pie, use a pair of kitchen scissors to trim the dough to within 1/2 inch of the lip of the dish. Tuck the overhang underneath itself along the edge of the pie dish. Use your fingers in a pinching motion, or the tines of a fork to crimple the edge of the pie crust.
5b If you are making a double crust pie, roll out the second disk of dough. Gently place onto the top of the filling in the pie. Use a kitchen scissors to trim the overhang to an inch over. Fold the edge of the top piece of dough over and under the edge of the bottom piece of dough, pressing together. Finish the double crust by pressing against the edges of the pie with your finger tips or with a fork.
6 Use a sharp knife to cut vents into the top of the pie crust, so the steam has a place to escape while the pie is cooking. Optional Before scoring, you may want to paint the top of your crust with an egg wash (this will make a nice finish).
Apple Pie Filling:
4-5 apples depending on the size (I prefer jonathan, jonagold, macoun, or pink lady apples)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tbs flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1. Peal and slice apples and give them a spritz of lemon or lime juice to prevent browning. Microwave them for 1-2 minutes in a good sized bowl and then let sit for 10-15 minutes till cool. Drain off any excess liquid that collects in the bottom. This begins the cooking process of the apples for a more even doneness and also helps prevent watery filling.
2. Add brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon to apples and toss to coat evenly. Let sit for 10-15 more minutes to let the flavors marry. Drain off an excess liquid that collects in the bottom of the bowl.
3. While apples sit, pre-heat oven to 400 degrees and prepare bottom pie crust in a 9 inch pie pan. I like to store that in the fridge while I roll out and prepare the top crust so that the fat doesn't start to melt.
4. Pour filling into the crust and put on top crust -- don't forget to cut the vents. Brush on an egg wash (I use a simple 1 egg and a bit of water kind) and bake for 35-45 minutes until apples are desired tenderness. I prefer a more firm apple, so I usually finish around 35 minutes. Its wise to check on the pie after 30 minutes. If the crust is getting too dark, wrap the edges in tin foil.
I highly recommend waiting till the pie cools before cutting into it. Otherwise your filling might still be too liquid. If you're having problems with watery filling, try using a different type of apple or adding a bit more flour to your filling. I've also experimented with blind baking my bottom pie crust to make sure it gets cooked properly. I usually bake it for 10 minutes at 400 degrees, lined with tinfoil and filled with either dried beans or rice. This gets the crust started so I don't end up with the dreaded doughy bottom.
You can also dice the apples finer and use the filling for other types of pastries like turnovers. I haven't tried this yet, but it looks like an awesome way to make pie for gifts or just for quick, single servings: Pie in a Jar.
