Manageability – No big deal
When I set out to make Martha’s Lemon Meringue Pie, it was quarantine day 18, so I figured what better way to take time off the clock than to make her pie crust as well? In other words – get me out of this house, I miss the sun.
The pie crust recipe was surprisingly simple (for Martha), and I found that using your own crust was actually much better than using the store-bought. Because you control the consistency and texture, you have more ability to modify it as needed. You can roll it out to a fitting size without it tearing. Plus, it’s kinda fun to crimp the sides.
Martha’s recipe calls for pie weights, which I don’t have. It turns out there’s a lot of things I don’t have in this kitchen that I thought was well stocked. But, in a pinch, $35 worth of quarters worked out fine. Better that than spending them on laundry. Hot change!
Ingredients
Ingredient Checklist
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- Pie weights or lots of quarters
Directions
Instructions Checklist
- Step 1 Put flour, salt, and sugar in bowl of a food processor, and pulse to combine. Add butter, and process for about 10 seconds, or just until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
- Step 2 Add ice water, tablespoon by tablespoon (1/4 to 1/2 cup), through the feed tube with machine running, just until the dough holds together without being wet or sticky; do not process more than 30 seconds. Test the dough at this point by squeezing a small amount together. If it is crumbly, add a bit more water.
- Step 3 Divide dough in half, and wrap each half in plastic wrap, using a rolling pin to flatten into a disk. Chill until needed. Wrapped in plastic, dough can be frozen for several weeks before using. But then again, anything can be frozen if you put it in the freezer.