There’s not a chilly night that falls on Squamish that I don’t at least entertain the idea of pie. Apple pie, blueberry pie, peach pie, rhubarb pie, or any mix of the aforementioned that I can dream up. Served warm, with a slice of sharp cheddar or ice cream (never whipped cream, but my hubby thinks that’s strange), it’s a perfect dinner or dessert and is always welcome at dinner parties.
Making a pie is easy, but people balk at the idea of making dough. I’m not opposed to ready-made freezer pie shells – I keep a few stashed in the deep freeze for last-minute needs, but the trick to homemade ease is having balls of plastic-wrapped freezer dough ready to go at a moment’s notice. Once the dough is rolled out and laid like a blank canvas across the curve of the baking dish the pie is essentially done – just a few steps from enriching the house with its drool-worthy aroma.
My mother has made a lot of dough. In fact I don’t think she’s ever used a store-bought shell, but that’s because she’s organized and when she makes a fresh batch, she doubles or triples the recipe and freezes the rest. Pastry snobs may argue that homemade frozen pastry is never as good as fresh but to my palate it’s pretty good and here’s how to make it.
Give your counter workspace and hands a good scrub and throw on an apron – flour dust has magnetic properties, and I find wearing an apron more fun. Sprinkle the clean, dry counter with flour in a wide, pizza-size circumference and have your roller ready to go. In a large bowl, mix two and a half cups of unbleached all-purpose flour with 2 tbsp. sugar and 1/2 tsp salt. Using two knives in a scissor motion, or a pastry cutter (which looks like a sharp, short potato masher), mix in 16 tbsp. cold, unsalted butter until the mixture is crumbly with pea-sized lumps. Add 6 tbsp. cold water and mix with a fork until the dough is holding together and looks slightly feathery. If you use a mixer, follow the steps and use a flat blade attachment to mix on low speed until it holds together.
Transfer the dough to the floured counter and make two balls. Flatten the first with your hands, then roll out into a circular, even disc large enough to drape over the sides of the pie plate. Do the same with the second, which you will put on top of the fruit mix (don’t forget to prick it with a fork to let steam out).
For fillings, use a couple of cups of peeled fruit mixed with a half cup (or more) of sugar, a tbsp. of flour, a tsp. of cinnamon, and a squirt of lemon juice. Feel free to experiment – traditional recipes call for a lot of white sugar, but I find the amount can be cut dramatically and the outcome is still delicious. Double or triple the dough recipe and make into balls, which you can wrap tightly with plastic wrap and freeze for up to three months (I’ve gone longer, the pie was fine). Alternatively, roll out the remaining balls and place in tinfoil pie plates, wrap and freeze and when you need dough, it’s ready to go.
