Confession time: I don't like making pie. Or more to the point, I don't like making pie crust. It takes so much time and effort to make pie crust. Rolling it out is a pain in the butt because the dough is always trying to stick to the table or the rolling pin. And it's hard to get it just the right size, because it never wants to form into a perfect circle with an even thickness. No, it's always got to be oblong with thin bits that tear while the thicker bits on the side laugh at me, mockingly. And then there's all of that flour everywhere - all over the table, all over your clothes. It frustrates me to no end. So much effort for what is basically an edible shelf that usually contributes very little to the overall flavor of the pie. You would think I would get the hang of it with practice, but no. For YEARS I was in charge of making the pies for every Thanksgiving and Christmas. And for years I struggled with annoying pie dough because in my family we have always made it from scratch.
Well, ya know what? Enough. Deep down I'm a purist and I love making everything from scratch. Hell, I've been thinking about making my own butter! But there is a point when one must embrace this modern age in which we live. And ... well, frankly, I don't want cooking to be stressful & annoying. I want it to be pleasurable. I figure that if buying pre-made pie crust keeps my hair brown for just a little while longer, than so be it. Pre-made pie crust it shall be.
So I bought a box of crust. I opened the packaging, unrolled the circle of dough, plopped it in the pie pan. And that was it! A miracle! Amazing! Splendid! Marvelous! And it tastes about the same as the dough I've slaved over for years. It appears that I truly can have pie and my sanity all at the same time. I didn't think it was possible! Hooray!
All of this to say that I made turkey pot pie for dinner and egg custard pie for dessert. And now that I've discovered this shortcut, I think I'll be making pies far more often.
4 comments:
maybe you should send zhenechka a pie. i had no idea what a pie snob she was until i read her pierogi post, but i just know you could win her over with your goodies.
haven't i been telling you to try out some pre-made pie crusts for quite a long time? pffft, and you just thought i was a lazy cook. no no no, i'm a BAD cook! i need all the help i can get.
I'm going to be completely honest.
I am a Le Cordon Bleu trained Pastry Chef. I graduated with honors, even.
I make the neatest things.
I HATE making pie crust. I hate it so much, I won't do it. I buy pie crust. And people don't even know.
Its true!
Tanya, that makes me feel SO much better. I was a little afraid that if you saw this post you'd feel ashamed of me or something. ;)
Now george has me craving pierogis. I don't even know if there's a place to buy those here. Bah.
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