Not-So-Humble Pies (3 page)

Salty and crunchy, a pretzel crust is an easy way to give your favorite pie an unexpected twist. The salty crunch of pretzels helps spark the sweetness of the filling, and the naturally hearty flavor of pretzels adds a mouthwatering layer of flavor to your pie. But be careful: Large pieces of pretzel will make the crust fragile and it will fall apart when sliced. Use a food processor to process the pretzels until they have the texture of sand.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a medium bowl, combine the pretzel crumbs, sugar, and butter until well combined. Press the mixture evenly into a 9” pie pan.

Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the center is firm when pressed lightly. Cool completely before filling.

This recipe produces a sturdy dough that is very easy to work with. The pastry holds its shape well while baking, unmolds easily from the tart pan, and produces clean, pretty slices. This crust, similar in texture and flavor to a shortbread cookie, is particularly nice when combined with fresh fruit or custards.

Cream together the sugar and butter until just combined.

Add in the egg yolk and vanilla; mix until incorporated.

Add in the flour; mix until the dough is smooth. Wrap in plastic and chill for 1 hour, or up to 3 days.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator for 10 minutes to warm up. Roll out on a lightly floured surface to an ⅛” thick, 12 circle, turning the dough often to make sure it does not stick. Dust the surface with additional flour, if needed.

Roll the dough around the rolling pin and unroll it into a 10 tart pan. Carefully press the dough into the pan. Press your fingers against the rim of the pan to trim the dough.

Cover with plastic and chill until ready to bake. Covered, the crust will keep for up to three days in the refrigerator.

The fresh lemon and lavender used in this recipe make this delicately flavored crust unforgettably upscale. Use this crust when making fresh fruit tarts to emphasize the flavors of the berries. This base is also lovely with a simple vanilla custard or some creamy lemon curd. Orange and lime zest can also be used here, so don’t be afraid to customize your crust and make it your own.

Cream together the sugar and butter until just combined.

Add in the egg, lemon zest, and vanilla; mix until incorporated.

Add in the flour, lavender, and salt; mix until the dough is smooth. If needed, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, if the dough is too sticky. Wrap in plastic and chill for 1 hour, or up to three days.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator for 10 minutes to warm up. Roll out on a lightly floured surface to an ⅛” thick, 12” circle, turning the dough often to make sure it does not stick. Dust the surface with additional flour, if needed.

Roll the dough around the rolling pin and unroll it into a 10” tart pan. Carefully press the dough into the pan. Press your fingers against the rim of the pan to trim the dough.

Cover with plastic and chill until ready to bake. Covered, the crust will keep for up to three days in the refrigerator.

Cheddar cheese has a sharp, rich flavor and an enticing aroma. Here it’s combined with a hint of spicy cayenne pepper to create a crust with a flavor similar to the cheese straw, a staple of the South. This crust is best when filled with apple, pear, or even peach fillings where the sharp cheese can play off the fragrant fruit.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, salt, and cayenne pepper. Add the chilled butter; rub into the flour mixture with your fingers until 30 percent of the fat is between pea and hazelnut sized, while the rest is blended in well. Add the Cheddar cheese and mix until evenly incorporated.

Add 3 tablespoons of water and mix until the dough forms a rough ball. Add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, as needed.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough in half. Form each half into a disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least 1 hour, or up to 3 days.

Remove one of the disks from the refrigerator for 10 minutes to warm up. Once warm, knead the dough 10 times on a well-floured surface. Roll out to an ⅛” thick, 12” circle, turning the dough often to make sure it does not stick. Dust the surface with additional flour, if needed.

Fold the dough in half and place it into a 9” pie plate. Unfold and carefully push the dough into the pan. Use kitchen scissors or a paring knife to trim the dough to within ½” of the pan’s edge. Cover with plastic and place in the refrigerator to chill.

Remove the second disk of dough from the refrigerator for 10 minutes to warm up. Roll out on a lightly floured surface to an ⅛” thick, 12” circle, turning the dough often to make sure it does not stick. Dust the surface with additional flour, if needed.

Place the crust on a baking sheet and chill for 30 minutes before use.

Both buttery and nutty, pecans add not only a rich, decadent flavor but a pleasant, chewy texture to this crisp crust. Not a fan of pecans? You can use any ground nuts you like here. Hazelnuts, almonds, walnuts, and even macadamia nuts are excellent substitutes. You can also substitute chocolate wafer cookies for the graham crackers. In fact, if you added ground hazelnuts you would have a crust that mimicked in flavor the popular chocolate hazelnut spread.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, ground pecans, cinnamon, sugar, and butter until well combined. Press the mixture evenly into a 9 pie pan.

Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the center is firm when pressed lightly. Cool completely before filling.

When you are making a pie with a spicy filling, think about adding some warm spice to your crust, too. This causes the warm flavor profile of the spices to carry through your entire dish. You will want to use crunchy ginger snaps for this crust. The soft kind—while a pleasure to eat—are too soggy to form a solid base. If you have any leftover crispy gingerbread cookies, you can also use those here.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, gingersnap crumbs, sugar, and butter until well combined. Press the mixture evenly into a 9 pie pan.

Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the center is firm when pressed lightly. Cool completely before filling.

Want to take the chocolate flavor of your pie to the next level? Then this is the crust for you! If you are feeling particularly exotic, you can add even more flavor by adding a couple of tablespoons of toasted coconut, a teaspoon of instant coffee, or ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon to the cookie crumbs.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a medium bowl, combine the cookie crumbs, sugar, and butter until well combined. Press the mixture evenly into a 9 pie pan.

Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until the crust is firm in the center when pressed lightly. Cool completely before filling.

Traditional puff pastry can be quite tricky and time consuming to make: a block of cold butter is incorporated into dough, which is then repeatedly rolled out, folded, and chilled to create thousands of flaky layers. It can take a day, or more, to make this intricate pastry properly. This recipe makes a puff pastry with a lot of delicate, flaky layers, but from start to finish this takes less than an hour. Your guests will think you spent hours in the kitchen perfecting this impressive puff—and you don’t have to tell them otherwise!

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt; mix well.

Add the chilled butter; blend it into the flour mixture with your fingers until 10 percent of the fat is blended in well, leaving the rest as very large chunks, between hazelnut and pecan size.

Add the water a little at a time, and mix the dough with a spatula until it just hangs together. It will look very shaggy.

Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface. Shape the dough into a rectangle; roll out to ½ thick. Dust the top with additional flour if the butter is too soft, but do not add too much.

Use a bench scraper or a large spatula to fold the dough into itself in thirds, similar to folding a letter. It will be crumbly.

Turn the dough 90° and square off the edges. Roll into a rectangle that’s ½ thick. Brush off any excess flour; fold in thirds.

Repeat this process 2 more times; wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.

Remove from the refrigerator and allow to stand for 10 minutes.

Roll the dough out into a ½ thick rectangle, dust off any excess flour as you fold, then fold the 2 shorter sides into the center and then in half at the seam, like a book.

Roll out the dough to ½ thick; wrap in plastic and chill for 1 hour before use.

Looking for a tart crust with a little something more? The magic ingredient in this recipe is cornmeal, which adds an interesting texture and savory flavor and is perfect when paired with bold-flavored fillings. Use a finely ground cornmeal for this recipe. While stone-ground cornmeal has a beautiful texture and flavor, it can be a little overwhelming for this recipe because of its rustic coarseness. A finer ground cornmeal will provide all the toothsome quality of cornmeal, all the earthy flavor, but it will not distract from the filling it houses.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, and salt until thoroughly blended.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter and sugar until lightened in color. Whisk in the egg.

Add dry ingredients to the butter mixture; stir until just combined.

Add the water; continue to mix until the dough starts to clump together.

On a well-floured surface, flatten the dough into a disk; wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator for 10 minutes to warm up. Roll out on a lightly floured surface to an ⅛” thick, 12” circle, turning the dough often to make sure it does not stick. Dust the surface with additional flour, if needed.

Fold the dough in half and place it into a 10” tart pan with 1” sides. Unfold and carefully press the dough into the pan. Press the dough against the edge of the pan to trim.

Cover with plastic and chill until ready to bake. Covered, the crust will keep for up to three days in the refrigerator.

Parmesan cheese is a hard Italian cow’s milk cheese prized for its savory flavor—and its inclusion in this crust will take the sophistication of your pie to a whole new level. When it comes to Parmesan, it is wise to invest a little in the real thing. Avoid the shelf-stable canisters of grated cheese next to the dry pasta and opt instead for blocks of freshly cut cheese found in the deli. Fresh Parmesan is a little more expensive, but it’s well worth it; you’ll be rewarded with a stronger, saltier flavor and a creamier aroma.