pie crust, fruit crisp topping

[bethala]

i want to conquer my fear of baking pies and tarts (fear of making a crust, basically) by starting simple, with a fruit crisp. but all i have is a cuisinart mini prep, not a real food processor. even my crisp recipe asks you to pulse the crisp-topping ingredients in a food processor. i've used my mini prep for many recipes that call for using a food processor, working in batches if i couldn't get everything in all at once, but i've never attempted pie crust, because i thought that was probably crossing the line. can i use my mini prep to pulse a pie crust or crisp topping (flour, oats, sugar, butter) or must i use a real food processor? and that old-fashioned, two-fork thing really scares me. thoughts, hints, anyone?

[jgm]

If you have a pastry blender, use that. You could even use your fingertips. Don't make this a bigger deal than it is!

My worry is that if you use a food processor at all, it will break the oats up too much. You'll have a prettier, tastier topping if you use a method that leaves the oats as they are, and just combines them with the other ingredients.

Try this: Use one fork. Mix the butter and the flour and sugar, plus any seasonings, using a mashing motion with the tines of a fork. You basically want to get the dry ingredients worked into the butter, but stop when that's pretty much accomplished. It doesn't have to be perfect! When that's done, stir the oats in until it's all combined well.

That should do it. There's nothing to fear, here; I really don't think you can mess this up. Gluten won't start developing in the flour until you add liquid, and your topping recipe likely doesn't have any. When in the oven, the butter will melt and that will help dissolve the sugar; the oats will toast, and your topping will be good.

As for pie crust, I wouldn't use a mini-processor for that. A pastry blender here, too, is a better tool. If you don't already have one, get the type that has little blades that are cut from a single piece of metal. The other type, which has wires all connected at a handle, isn't as stable.

[srhcb]

i want to conquer my fear of baking pies and tarts (fear of making a crust, basically) by starting simple, with a fruit crisp.  but all i have is a cuisinart mini prep, not a real food processor.  even my crisp recipe asks you to pulse the crisp-topping ingredients in a food processor.  i've used my mini prep for many recipes that call for using a food processor, working in batches if i couldn't get everything in all at once, but i've never attempted pie crust, because i thought that was probably crossing the line.  can i use my mini prep to pulse a pie crust or crisp topping (flour, oats, sugar, butter) or must i use a real food processor?  and that old-fashioned, two-fork thing really scares me.  thoughts, hints, anyone?

←

Being "rolling challenged" myself, I can sympathize with your plight.

But, jgm is right. It's no big deal, especially in a crisp type dish.

I use a little three pronged fork to start mixing, and finish with my fingers. The only trick is to have all the crust ingredients really cold to begin with so your fingers don't melt the butter.

[bethala]

jgm and steve, thanks for your thorough replies! sounds like starting with the crisp, using one fork, is the way to dip my foot in. then on to bona fide crust. i don't have a pastry blender, but that's certainly a smaller investment than a food processor, and i'm willing to give it a try. i had a feeling that the mini prep had its limits. i'll let you know how things turn out.

beth

[jgm]

When the arthritis in my hands will allow it, I use only one fork to mix a pie crust, too. (Otherwise I use a pastry blender.) With the fork in my right hand, I do a short, right-to-left cutting motion with the side of the fork while my left hand turns the bowl in a counter-clockwise motion. I've already placed the fat, salt, and flour in the bowl (in that order), and just start cutting it together until most of the particles are the size of small peas (and the rest are smaller than that), and there is a fair amount of uniformity in the size. Every now and then I stop and scrape the accumulated ingredients off the fork. I don't measure the ingredients in the crust, so sometimes I have to add a little flour. Once all the fat and flour are incorporated, I add the liquid and stir just to combine. Then a few strokes of kneading on a floured surface, just to get the dough to hold together well, and I'm ready to roll it out.

Rolling should be a motion that is done from the center out to the edge. Keep turning the disc of dough, and add a little flour where necessary.

For most people, this isn't something you're going to get just after a time or two. I did, but it was after years of watching my mother. But I've had flops since then, because I ignored some of the basics. The main thing to remember is not to stretch the dough to get it into the pan. Ease it in; you're not fitting the dough to the pan, you're lining the inside of the pan with the dough. Pat it gently into place, and finish as necessary depending on whether you're making a one or two crust pie. There are threads on eG that discuss pie crust making in detail; you may want to search for them and read them through beforehand. Good luck!

Oh - there are plenty of people who do well with a food processor. I would not attempt this with a mini-processor.

Edited September 6, 2006 by jgm (log)

[etalanian]

I think it's great that you want to bake pies! Your family and friends will love you for it.

Once you get the hang of it you will feel silly for ever being afraid to do it.

Here are a few tips you should keep in mind (LOOKS LIKE A LOT, BUT I'VE DONE A LOT OF EXPLAINING TO HELP YOU UNDERSTAND):

1. Keep ingredients cold and don't work in a room that is really warm or hot. Try to roll it out on a cool surface like stone, marble, granite, stainless steel. Even formica will work.

2. Don't overwork the pie dough once you start adding the liquid to it; handle it with firm confidence and as little as possible, or the gluten will become activated and it will become a tough crust. I use a serving fork to toss in the liquid, and as the dough starts to form, I cut the liquid in a little bit with the side of the fork. DON'T STIR IT IN!

3. After you add the liquid and the dough starts to stick together, quickly form it into a ball and place it on a lightly floured work surface. It should easily form a ball - if not, add a teaspoon or so of water and toss/cut it in. After you make dough a few times, you will "feel" when the dough is right.

4. Knead the dough 2 or 3 times. Use the heel of your hand to "spread" the ball of dough away from you. Quickly fold it back together and "spread" it again. Then gather it into a ball, gently flatten it into a disc with your hand, wrap it in plastic or wax paper, and set it in the fridge to chill for 15-20 minutes.

5. Use as little flour as possible to roll out the dough, but use enough to keep it from sticking to the work surface. Again, you'll know how much is right after you do this a few times.

6. Roll the dough as JGM advised, from the center out, turning it as you go, and checking to see if it is beginning to stick. If it is, sprinkle a little dusting of flour on the work surface. If it sticks to the rolling pin, sprinkle a little on the dough top and spread it lightly all over the surface of the dough with your hand.

7. To get the dough into the pie pan, make sure the top surface of the dough isn't sticky - (very lightly sprinkle it with flour and gently spread the flour all over the surface of the dough. Then fold the dough over on itself. (The dough should release from the work surface easily if you've been checking to see that it doesn't stick while you are rolling it.) Pick up the dough at the folded side, and place it into the pie dish so the fold is on the diameter of the pan, then unfold the dough and sort of drape it into the pan to fit it in. Don't stretch it, because then it will shrink when it's baked. Trim off any extra dough, leaving about a 1/2-inch edge hanging over the pie pan.

I really hope I haven't scared you off with this. My intention is only to give you enough information so you'll be successful. It's not hard, it's just a matter of knowing the "tricks" of the trade!

[bethala]

this is all great advice -- thanks! you have not scared me away, but, rather, provided me with very thorough instructions that make me feel confident about getting started not only with the crisp but also with the pie. i know that with the pie crust, it'll probably take me a few tries, but now i'm willing to at least get started. thanks to all.

beth

[srhcb]

As previously noted, rolling pie crust is one thing I'm decidedly NOT good at.

I do, however, have a very easy no-roll crust recipe that works for some kinds of pies and tarts using pre-baked crust.

SB

Edited September 7, 2006 by srhcb (log)

[bethala]

did the crumble finally. i used ina garten's recipe (from Barefoot in Paris) for a plum raspberry crumble, but using nectarines and blackberries instead, as in rebecca charles' blackberry nectarine crisp (an adaptation printed in the New York Times), which was my original inspiration, but which was rumored on the internet not to work so well. i used the fork method, with all ingredients except the oats, then switched to a knife, because my fork started wimping out. then added the oats, ending by just gently using my fingers to blend, being careful not to over work. i used individual ramekins to bake the crumbles rather than a single pan. they came out wonderfully, brightened with vanilla ice cream. they could have had a bit more of that fluffy quality - all in all i gave myself a B+ - but plates were cleaned, and i no longer have crumble fear. i figure, conquer a couple more of these, then on to bona fide pie crusts. wish i had pics for you, but it's hard enough for me to do the links.

thanks for all your advice!

beth