Puester wrote:

> aem wrote:
>
>> Okay, those of you who are good pie crust (and biscuits) makers, what
>> do you think about pastry cutters for blending the butter into the
>> flour? Do you use them? Do you get better results from them? If
>> not, do you use: two knives, a fork, your fingers, or what? -aem
>>
>
>
> I use one and really have good results with it. My hands are too warm
> to mix by hand w/o melting the butter.

Not a problem with me, especially in the winter.
My house is so cold my hands are freezing! ;-)

> I use the pastry cutter to combine the flour and shortening into coarse
> crumbs, then a fork to stir in the ice water and divide the resulting
> dough in half. I use my hands to flatten the rounds of pastry and slip
> them into sandwich baggies to chill in the fridge before rolling out.

Yeah, I have a special fork that I use just for that purpose.
If I ever lost that fork I would just die! I would never be
able to make pie crust again!

> FWIW, I always use more water than the recipe recommends, otherwise the
> dough is too crumbly to roll out without cracking or tearing.

Me, too, although once in a while I get carried away or something
and the crust comes out a little tough. Gotta be careful.

> "Easy as pie" is false, but I do think pie is easier than cake.

Heck no. Cake is much easier. Make a good pie crust is
a delicate balancing act. Cake - you just follow the recipe
exactly and it will always turn out fine. That's assuming
you have a decent recipe to follow.

Kate

--
Kate Connally
“If I were as old as I feel, I’d be dead already.”
Goldfish: “The wholesome snack that smiles back,
Until you bite their heads off.”
What if the hokey pokey really *is* what it's all about?