A fun tradition

Here’s hoping you all enjoyed a great Thanksgiving with those you love.  I wanted to share a quickly-taken photo of our pumpkin pies.  I traced each of my kids’ hands and then cut them out of dough to put in the center.  Even though this photo isn’t great, the pies were really cute.

I always follow the good ole’ Libby’s pumpkin pie recipe and I use this amazing pie dough.  I make two pumpkin pies because we have a kooky tradition around here.  We look forward to having one pie for breakfast on Thanksgiving morning, then the other is for dessert after dinner.  My theory is that we are always so full from eating such a big dinner, that we definitely enjoy the pie more for breakfast.  And my kids enjoy this treat as much as I do.  {smile}

Recipe:  Pie Dough

(from Baking with Julia by Dorie Greenspan)

~yields enough dough for two double-crust pies

5 1/4 c. pastry flour or all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp. kosher salt

1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1 3/4 c. solid vegetable shortening (11 ounces), chilled

1 c. ice cold water

(I made my dough in my kitchen aid mixer, but you can also do this by hand or in a food processor.)

Fix mixer with paddle attachment (or use a pastry blender).  Put flour and salt in bowl and mix.  Add butter and mix on low until it is cut into dry ingredients and the mixture looks coarse and crumbly.  Add shortening in small bits and continue to mix on low.  When the mixture holds together when a small bit is pressed between your fingers, add the water and mix only until it is incorporated.  Turn the dough out onto a work surface and fold it over on itself two or three times, just to finish the mixing and to gather it together.

Divide the dough into four equal balls and flatten into thick discs.  Wrap dough discs in plastic and refrigerate for 2 hours or as long as 5 days.  When dough is thoroughly firm and chilled, roll for pie crusts.

Advertisement