The Best Pie Crust in the World!

Perfect Pie Crust Recipe

Ingredients

All Butter Crust for Sweet and Savory Pies (Pâte Brisée)

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
  
• 1 cup (2 sticks or 8 ounces) unsalted butter, very-cold, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
  
• 1 teaspoon sugar
  
• 4 to 8 Tbsp ice water

Method

1 Cut the sticks of butter into 1/2-inch cubes and place in the freezer for 15 minutes to an hour (the longer the better) so that they become thoroughly chilled.

2 Combine flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor; pulse to mix. Add butter and pulse 6 to 8 times, until mixture resembles coarse meal, with pea size pieces of butter. Add ice water 1 Tbsp at a time, pulsing until mixture just begins to clump together. If you pinch some of the crumbly dough and it holds together, it's ready. If the dough doesn't hold together, add a little more water and pulse again.

3 Remove dough from machine and place in a mound on a clean surface. Gently shape into 2 discs. Knead the dough just enough to form the discs, do not over-knead. You should be able to see little bits of butter in the dough. These small chunks of butter are what will allow the resulting crust to be flaky. Sprinkle a little flour around the discs. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour, and up to 2 days.

4 Remove one crust disk from the refrigerator. Let sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes in order to soften just enough to make rolling out a bit easier. Roll out with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface to a 12-inch circle; about 1/8 of an inch thick. As you roll out the dough, check if the dough is sticking to the surface below. If necessary, add a few sprinkles of flour under the dough to keep the dough from sticking. Carefully place onto a 9-inch pie plate. Gently press the pie dough down so that it lines the bottom and sides of the pie plate. Use a pair of kitchen scissors to trim the dough to within 1/2 inch of the edge of the pie dish.

5 Add filling to the pie.

6 Roll out second disk of dough, as before. Gently place onto the top of the filling in the pie. Pinch top and bottom of dough rounds firmly together. Trim excess dough with kitchen shears, leaving a 3/4 inch overhang. Fold the edge of the top piece of dough over and under the edge of the bottom piece of dough, pressing together. Flute edges using thumb and forefinger or press with a fork. Score the top of the pie with four 2-inch long cuts, so that steam from the cooking pie can escape.

I have found this recipe to be the best out there! It is simple and easy and tastes wonderful!

Enjoy!

~Sarah Beth

Berry Smoothies

1/2 - 1 cup milk
1 cup mixed frozen berries
1 cup plain yogurt
1-2 scoops vanilla icecream

Put all the ingredients in a blender, milk first. Blend until the berries are in tiny bits, and the whole thing is mixed thoroughly. You can blend it, then turn the blender down to the stir option to let the stuff on top settle down to the bottom, then blend again to blend up what was on top before.

-Carrie

P.S. This is my dad's recipe.

Carrot Puddin'

I know that sounds really weired but it is like a very good bread pudding. I got it out of this cute book called, 'The Giant Carrot: (By) Barry Root'

Combine and blend until smooth:

1 cup peeled and grated carrots
1/2 cup milk
2 whole eggs
1/2 tsp nutmeg (I used a lot more then that)
1/2 tsp cinnamon (with this one too)
2 tbsp melted butter
1 cup honey (or 1 cup brown sugar + 1/4 cup water)

When smooth, stir in gently:

4 slices bread, cut into cubes
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup chopped nuts

Pour into greased baking dish.
Bake for one hour at 350 degree.
Serve hot or cold in coffee cups.
Delicious with ice cream too, or cream cheese icing.

It is pretty good.
Samantha

Chocolate Marquise ( pronounced, mär-ˈkēz)

For Father's Day I made my Dad three chocolate desserts. This one is my favorite. It is soft and cream, a gentle chocolate flavor and easy to make. Also it would be good with coffee flavor I think but as I have only made it two times I have not tried it that way. And how, here is the recipe.......


7 oz dark/milk chocolate (I used milk both times)
generous 1/3 cup butter
3 egg yolks
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp (or more :) vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup heavy cream

1: Break the chocolate into pieces (I used chocolate chips) . Place the chocolate and butter in a bowl over a pan of gently simmering water and stir until melted and well combined. Remove from the heat and let cool.

2: Place the egg yolk in a mixing bowl with sugar and whisk until pale and fluffy. Using an electric whisk running on low speed, slowly whisk in the cool chocolate mixture. Stir in the vanilla extract.

3: Whip the cream until just holding its shape. Fold into the chocolate mixture. Spoon into 6 custard pots (as you see in the picture, you do not have to do that), or individual metal molds. Chill the desserts for at least 2 hours.

4: To serve, turn out the desserts onto individual serving dishes. If you have difficulty turning them out, dip the pots or molds into a bowl of warm water for a few seconds (like two.. more it is WAY to soft) to help the marquise to slid out. Serve with chocolate-dipped fruit and dust with cocoa. Or server in dish, and not have any side.

Samantha

Mother's Day at the Holston's Home

Hello Everyone!

We Holston children prepared gluten-free waffles for our mother and topped the waffles with fresh strawberries and whipped cream!

The waffles were a first time try for anything gluten-free in our home. So here is a gluten-free waffle recipe for you all:

Gluten-free Waffles

1 c of brown rice or rice flour
1 tspn of sugar
1 1/2 c of buttermilk or regular milk
1/4 c of oil
2 tspn of baking powder
1 tspn of salt
2 eggs
1/4 c of tapioca flour
1/2 c of potato starch
Directions:
Start whisking everything together
If it's to runny then add more flour but if you have it to thick then add a little more milk.
After you have found the right consistancy then pour it into the waffle iron and have your breakfast.....That is after you top them with berries and whipped cream!

Thank you Mothers! I hope you had a wonderful Mother's Day!

~Sarah Holston

Mothers Day

Here is an idea...as everyone seem to have no ideas as to what to put on this blog.
The idea is: What are you making your mom for Mothers Day?
The whole meal, dessert, special breakfast, and lunch. All the recipes, and pictures if you can.
And I would very much like it if everyone did it.
I will put mine on here the day after Mothers Day, with pictures. Let's see if any of you can get your's on here first. :) :P :-D
Samantha

Potato Patties

Instructions:

-Rinse, peel, and grate potatoes

-Mix potatoes with chopped ham, and eggs

-Form into patties*

-Grill in butter

For amounts, use these ratios:

1 potato for every 2 people

1 cup chopped ham for every 2 potatoes

1 egg for every 2 potatoes

*Also, you can spread the mixture out thinly on the griddle, and grill like hash browns. (See picture below.)

~Carilyn