What's Cooking: Helpful Pie Dough Tips - WCAX.COM Local Vermont News, Weather and Sports-

What's Cooking: Helpful Pie Dough Tips

Chef Tom Bivins from Crop Bistro & Brewery joins us this morning with tips on how to make a key staple of your holiday desserts.

Crop Pie Dough

Yield 4 single crusts

4 cups All-purpose flour

1 TB. Sugar

¼ tsp. salt

1 cup + 3/4 cup Shortening or Unsalted Butter, or a combination of both

½ cup Cold Water

1 egg

1 TB. Cider Vinegar

Combine the dry ingredients. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter or two knives if you do not have a pastry cutter. In a separate bowl, combine the water the egg and the cider, whisk to combine.

Make a well in the dry mixture and add the wet ingredients to the dry. Using a fork, combine the two until it just comes together. Form into a ball, divide into 4 parts and place each part between parchment sheets. Refrigerate for about 1 hour, use immediately, and then use within 2 days or freeze for up to 2 weeks.

Flour rolling pin, rolling board and roll to as thin as possible or where you are comfortable; however, the dough has to be at least 2 inches larger than the pie plate.

If you are making a custard pie like chocolate or coconut or lemon meringue, use graham cracker crumbs as well as flour to roll out dough.

Streusel Topping for Pies

8 oz. Butter

8 oz. Brown Sugar

8 oz. All Purpose Flour

4 oz. Rolled Oats

4 oz. Walnuts

½ TSP. Salt

Combine the streusel topping by hand or in a food processor. Refrigerate and place in a tight container.