Pie Dough and Opera?

Hello Friends~ ~ ~I think the two go perfectly together. I love making pie dough, how about you? I put on some opera music and get out my canister of flour. It's therapeutic for me rubbing all that butter into a humble bowl of flour and ending up with light, flaky pie dough.

If you haven't used Pandora you may want to check it out. All the music you like, that's it, period! I love them. I searched for opera and was given a few choices. I chose romantic opera and boom they play one after the other. Try it you'll love it!

Ok, so you are set with your flour and your music. I use Martha's recipe for Pate Brisee for my pies and I think it's the best. The shortening makes the crust flaky and the butter gives it flavor.

~ ~Pate Brisee~ ~

5 cups flour

2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. sugar

1 cup crisco shortening

2 sticks butter, chilled and cut into small pieces

3/4-1 cup ice water

Put dry ingredients in a big bowl and stir to blend. Add the shortening and pieces of butter and rub the shortening and butter into the flour with your finger tips till it looks like the picture below. . .but Don't stop here. . .


Keep rubbing till it looks like the next picture. Smaller, finer pieces. Imagine the music playing and the feel of the butter between your fingers. Don't you feel the stress leaving your body already?

Now add the ice water maybe half of it and continue rubbing and mixing. Add more water as needed. Yesterday I used the whole 1 cup of water but that depends on the flour and the weather. Be sure to get all the dry flour from the bottom of the bowl mixed in. Dump the mix onto your counter and form it into a rough ball, then a big log like this.

Don't get all nuts about mixing it together perfectly. A little ragged is OK. See? This recipe makes 2 double crust pies. Cut your log into 4 equal pieces and flatted them into a big disk. The bigger the easier it is to roll the dough. Wrap each piece into it's own piece of plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.

Sorry but no pictures of the rolling procedure. it's difficult to take pictures when your hands are so messy.

Here is my finished pie. It's a Pennsylvania Dutch Corn Pie for last nights main course and it was delish. I made 2 of them. My pies always look so homemade because I'm not to good at making a pretty edge and for this that's OK. Sometimes I cut out little leaves of dough for the edge to make it look nice.

Look at that flaky crust. You can do it too.

We serve our Corn Pie with a thick white sauce over it. My Mom always just heated milk with butter for her sauce.

My corn pie recipe was posted some time ago and the link for it is here if you want to try it.

Be sure to check out my current GIVEAWAY. I think you will like it.

I just had to show you the two newest members of the family. Looks like Ying and Yang doesn't it? The orange one is female and the dark one is male. No names yet, any ideas?

Their Momma showed up here a few months ago with her brother. I guess someone dropped them off. Turns out she was pregnant and these two little ones are the result. We are thrilled and will be keeping all 4. How can you not love these bundles of fluff?

I am linking to these wonderful gals this week:

Foodie Friday

Share The Love Wednesday

Whats On The Menu Wednesday

Show and Tell Friday

House in the Roses

Make It A Wonderful Day

~ ~Ahrisha~ ~