Pie-Palooza

This post is for all of my friends who say that they really want to learn how to make pies, but then never come over to make them with me. aka, my first attempt at a tutorial.  Lucky for you, my friend Tammy did come over (I swear I'm not as bitter as I sound), and even luckier, has a fancy camera to document our hard work. Of course, if you're just looking for the secret recipe, you may find it here (pie crust) and here (Razzleberry Filling). I'm totally famous and was featured as a guest blogger on my friend's recipe blog. I know you're jealous. And without further ado:

Pie Crust That Will Make You Famous

Special equipment:

1 Large Pie tin (I prefer 10 inch)

1 tea towel

1 pastry knife or pastry cutter

Combine the following Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 pinches sugar

Mix. Then add:

1 cup shortening (I prefer butter-flavored, but do what you must)

Then, using the pastry knife, cut the shortening into the flour mixture,

until it is uniformly the texture of cornmeal (less is more here). 

Pour cold water, about 2 tablespoons at a time, evenly over all and mix quickly with a fork

Shape into a ball, then divide ball into two equal pieces. Cover one ball with a towel.

Using a floured, flat napped tea towel, roll the other ball flat, evenly rolling from the center outward with a rolling pin (nonstick or silicone works best here). Be careful to keep the circle even and round as you roll. Don’t be afraid to patch, either. You will have to occasionally add flour as you roll when the dough begins to stick. 

When the circle becomes approximately the size of your pie tin in diameter, fold in half, and place inside the pie plate. Unfold the pie dough and adjust to fit your pie plate. Patchwork is not frowned upon.

Fill the unbaked pie shell with berries. By berries I, of course, mean a 12 ounce package of frozen raspberries, and 1 pound package of frozen boysenberries. (I have also substituted the costco three berry mix here with delightful results (not the whole bag of course, this is only 1 pie).

In a separate mixing bowl, combine 1/3 cup flour and 1 ½ cup – 1 2/3 cup sugar (depending on how sweet you like it). Pour over the berries. 

Cut 2 tablespoons butter in small chunks and place evenly over flour & berry mixture.

Drizzle 1 Tablespoon vanilla over the top of everything. 

Roll out second ball of dough, using above directions. Then, if you're super fancy like me, you can use cookie cutters to make vents for steam to escape during the baking process.

Place second crust on top with vents. 

Place the second crust over the filling and press the two crusts together at the edge of the pie plate, sealing them to each other. 

Using a sharp knife, cut off both crusts evenly, slightly larger than the pie plate. Tuck the excess under the edge of the plate and crimp the edge of the crusts with your fingers in a decorative pattern all of the way around the pie. Optional: Brush egg-white over the top for a nice glossy finish.

Place in 375 degree oven for about an hour. Cook until lightly browned. Don’t forget to put a baking sheet on the shelf underneath to avoid a messy cleanup. 

Serve with vanilla ice cream.