And my husband sees pies.
We’ve got to hurry before Fred, the cigar smoking neighborhood squirrel, smells the ripened fruit.
My mom’s crust was the best. Actually Aunt Piggy’s, Aunt Soozie’s, and my Grandma’s were equally good. My mom gave me the same simple recipe they all used — 2 cups of flour, 2/3 cup of Crisco (NO substitutes), cut in with a knife one half at a time, and a dash of salt. Add 5-1/2 tablespoons of water, no more, no less. My mom insisted the crust “should not be overworked.”
My dough affixes itself to the rolling pin, and more often than not, I have to smash little crumbly pieces together in a pie plate. One day I’d had it. I marched into my mom’s kitchen, and announced, “I’m not leaving until I can make pie crust.”
After measuring the flour and shortening, my mom took a little glass of ice water and poured it in “until it felt right.” My mom’s recipe was a phony. It was not exactly 5-1/2 tablespoons of water. Since I didn’t have the gene, I’d never be able to tell when it felt right.
I gave up and settled for jigsaw pie crust – over 100 adjoining pieces. It was all about taste. And that I do well.
My husband volunteered to help me cut up the tree-ripened nectarines. I’d score one all the way to the core and then pop it open, pull out the seed and cut the halves into slices. My husband, on the other hand, used a knife to cut his slices off, leaving juicy fruit next to the seed. I pointed to the half-wasted nectarine. “Don’t throw that good part away,” I instructed. “My dad always said the meat of the fruit is sweetest next to the pit.”
My husband had always liked my dad, and for a moment he bought what I said. “Liar,” he suddenly exclaimed. “Your dad never said that. He said, ‘The closer the bone, the sweeter the meat.’”
“Maybe not,” I laughed. I could picture my dad sucking the life out of any bone on his plate. “But if he’d had a nectarine in his hand, he would have.”
By the end of the evening, my husband was smiling. He got his way with me… the pie, Silly.
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Penny,
Same problem here! I can do most anything in the kitchen but I can NOT make pie crust. My mother and sister (and daughter!) all claim it is the iced water. No — nothing works for me so it is refrigerated pie crusts for me. Those I can’t destroy!
100 piece pie crust — I love that! Kc
Wonderful story. Thanks Penny : )
I have never been very good at pie crust. I don’t like the feel of the dough. I gave up a while back. Marie Calenders does a very nice job in the freezer section. Village Inn has really good pie too. The pre-made pie crusts are pretty good.
Ah, heck! Let them eat cake.
Do you have a food processor? If you like, I’ll send you my no-fail recipe that is made in one- I never could use my mom’s pie recipe either.