Crust

Can I tell you how absolutely thrilled I am to have found a pastry recipe that doesn't demand the utmost strictness concerning the temperature of the butter? And still turns out nice and flaky every time.

Well, I am thrilled.

No more ice cube water. No more over-watering and over-mixing my dough. No more cries of agony at the crumble-factor as I engage in a pastry vs. rolling pin war where the pastry only gives up when I throw it in the oven (even then it scores a smug victory by coming out thin and tough).

I found a recipe for a hot water pie crust here on allrecipes.com. It does mix up pretty soft, so I generally refrigerate it for about 10-15 minutes before rolling it out--don't over-chill it or it will be too hard to roll! I use all butter for the shortening too, so it has great buttah flavah! It's simple enough to whip up fairly quickly and makes a versatile pastry.

Last week we were putting these in it . . .

. . . and with that little-bit-that-comes-off-the-edges
I did a mini zucchini tart in a souffle cup! Sauteed zucchini,
some cottage cheese, pizza sauce, and mozzarella.

I also used this recipe when I made samosa's with Michelle. That time I used a bit of whole wheat. Just because. It gives all that butter a healthy edge.

Right.

If you've ever been frustrated with making pastry, try the hot water recipe. I find it keeps me from overworking the dough once I add flour at the end. And it's so easy! And it really does make a flaky crust!


*(not guaranteed to make all your wildest dreams come true, but pretty close if you're dreaming about pie)