ottawa foodies

I have made pies over the years with less than satisfying crust. Last week I made this sour cherry pie with a recipe for pastry that I got from the cook's illustrated website. It was amazing, great flaky texture and good flavour,so I thought I'd share it. CI often takes a food science approach to cooking which I find really helps me with technique. Here's what they say about the pastry:

"Vodka is essential to the texture of the crust and imparts no flavor—do not substitute. This dough will be moister and more supple than most standard pie dough and will require more flour to roll out (up to 1/4 cup)"

Pie Dough
2 1/2 cups (12 1/2 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
1 teaspoon table salt
2 tablespoons sugar
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1/2 cup cold vegetable shortening, cut into 4 pieces
1/4 cup vodka, cold (see note)
1/4 cup cold water

FOR THE PIE DOUGH: Process 1½ cups flour, salt, and sugar in food processor until combined, about two 1-second pulses. Add butter and shortening; process until homogeneous dough just starts to collect in uneven clumps, about 15 seconds (dough will resemble cottage cheese curds and there should be no uncoated flour). Scrape bowl with rubber spatula and redistribute dough evenly around processor blade. Add remaining 1 cup flour and pulse until mixture is evenly distributed around bowl and mass of dough has been broken up, 4 to 6 quick pulses. Empty mixture into medium bowl.

Sprinkle vodka and water over mixture. With rubber spatula, use folding motion to mix, pressing down on dough until dough is slightly tacky and sticks together. Divide dough into 2 equal balls and flatten each into 4-inch disk. Cover each with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 45 minutes or up to 2 days.

Remove 1 disk dough from refrigerator and roll out on generously floured (up to ¼ cup) work surface to 12-inch circle about 1/8 inch thick. Roll dough loosely around rolling pin and unroll into pie plate, leaving at least 1-inch overhang. Ease dough into plate by gently lifting edge of dough with 1 hand while pressing into plate bottom with other hand. Refrigerate until dough is firm, about 40 minutes.

Transfer filling, including all juices, to dough-lined plate. Scatter butter pieces over fruit. Roll second disk of dough on generously floured work surface (up to ¼ cup) to 11-inch circle about 1/8 inch thick. Roll dough loosely around rolling pin and unroll over pie, leaving at least ½-inch overhang. Flute edges using thumb and forefinger or press with tines of fork to seal. Brush top and edges with egg mixture. With sharp knife, make 8 evenly spaced 1-inch-long vents in top crust. Freeze pie 20 minutes.

Place pie on preheated baking sheet and bake 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue to bake until juices bubble around the edges and crust is deep golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes longer.

blubarry is that the actual pie crust?

Interesting - I've never seen a recipe using vodka nor freezing the pie a bit before baking. I'll have to give it a try. Thanks!

Yes FoodTravel that's my pie. Or should I say, it WAS my pie :)

Hmmmm. Let's see. I just happen to have a bottle of sour cherries, vodka, and some homemade lard. What to do with it though ...

Rizak the cherries I used were indeed sour, and picked from my friend's tree. I might use more sugar next time in the filling, but if you get a mouthful of that sweet crust with the cherries along with a bit of vanilla ice cream, it's a perfect combo.

I've used vodka in pie crust before but never that large amount. I'm excited to try this recipe! Guess my family will just have to deal with eating a pie, they'll hate that. ;)

Followup: I may have to wait a while to try this recipe. There isn't a chance in hell that I'm firing up the oven in the next little while.

You need a big green egg :-)

Zym says: "You need a big green egg :-)"

What ? To bake pies ? Certainly not for making hamburgers.

From a man who swore by his (constantly flipped) flattop fried hamburgers were good. "My burgers are good. Really good."

Zym once said about cooking hamburgers method : "Bits of juice vaporizing on the coals and adding flavour to the meat? C'mon, I wasn't born yesterday. It is on there for 5 or 10 minutes, there is no way that is adding flavour that anyone can taste."

Here is the link to "Over coals vs his flattop" thread:

Forum - Home made burgers and buns!

Zym, can you still say that, now that you use a Big Green Egg ?

I was talking about the ability to bake a pie outside

Zym,

I realize you were talking about baking pies outdoors.

Me Bad.

I should have gone back to the original thread to ask my question. And I did. Here is the link to the (modified) question in the appropriate thread.

Link:
ottawafoodies.com

I've never baked pies on a bbq, but I have baked them on a coleman stove in one of those fold up sheet metal oven gadgets that fits over a propane burner.

Please refer all pie crust questions to Krusty. He is the pie crust king. Long live the king.