Unusual Pot Pie

When I was last in San Francisco, I ate at Mission Pie.  Decor and interior struck me as typical little neighborhood spot.  Loved the pie assortment.  Most crusts are made with butter, but they do have vegan options, too. I tried the tofu teriyaki pot pie.  It was delicious, but it it just me?  I like a pie to have a bottom crust.  We also had a fruit pie slice.  Firm delicious fruit.  Just wanted more! Mission Pie is at 2901 Mission in San Francisco.

Pretty Apple Pie

When I want a fancy top on my apple pie I use theoe large cookie cutters for pie tops. After I have rolled out the top layer dough, I press the round cutter down and roll over the cutter with the rolling pin . Then remove the cutter and gently lift the dough onto the top of the pie. The dough will stretch. I place the cut outs around the top of the pie for more decorative charm.
You can find those pie top cutters at Amazon.

Not so Sweet Cherry Pie

I don't like my cherry pie too sweet. The canned cherry pie is just too sugary for me. I discovered if I make a pie with a can of regular cherry pie filling and add a can of red tart cherries in water ( draining the water first ) it makes a pie that is a nice balance of sweet but not too sweet. I save the cherry juice from the cherries on water. It is a wonderful drink with lemon lime soda.
Here the pie is open
How do like my pie bird?
I've got one I bought when I visited my sister in Menominee,WI? We each bought a pie bird at the Red Wing Potttery outlet. Mine has a crack now so I bought the black one for every day.

Hickory Chicken Pot Pie

I had some leftover chicken in the freezer and I didn't want to make soup. So here is a great way to use up the chicken.
About 1 to 2 cups chopped chicken and the frozen pan broth.
6 small boiled red potatoes ( another leftover )
a handful of slivered carrots.
a small onion chopped.
4-6 dashes of Hickory smoke flavor. (More or less to taste)
1 teaspoons of Corn starch. Use potato starch or flour if you need to substitute.
1/4 cup of broth if you want a more juicy pie.


Over 300 to 350 degrees.

Assemble the pie.
Mix all ingredients and fill you pie shell. Score a star in the center of the top crust while still on the waxed paper, or use a cookie cutter to make a little opening. Position the top crust layer and crimp the two layers of dough together.
Place in the oven for 45 to 55 minutes until golden brown.
A note on oven times. My old oven is 40 years old. When you set it to 300 degrees, the bottom cooks at 350 degrees. The upper back shelf cooks at about 375 degrees wile the upper shelf be the door cooks at 275 degrees. Check your pie when it starts to smell good. Remove the pie from the oven when it is an all over golden brown color.

Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

Variation: I'm making this with peas sometime. My daughter doesn't like peas so there are none in the recipe. But for something I really like add a 1/2 cup of peas. Canned is okay.

Flaky Pie Crust - So Fast

Ingredients
10 Tablespoons frozen margarine.(I use Fleishman's Unsalted. That is, 1 stick and 2 tablespoons.)

2 & 1/4 cups all purpose flour. This is also probably frozen. (I keep my flour in the bottom drawer of the refrigerator and it freezes everything down there.)

1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt.

6 to 7 Tablespoons cold water.

Cuisinart mixer with the standard double blade.

Makes enough dough for a 10 inch covered pie or two 10 inch open pies.

Here is fast flaky dough and a start to a wonderful pie. Take the frozen margarine, salt and flour and put in the Cuisinart. Process until the flour looks like cornmeal. No visible lumps of margarine remain. Use cold water from the refrigerator dispenser or add ice to the tap water. While the Cuisinart is processing add 6 to 7 tablespoons of cold water. The Cuisinart with continue processing and you'll think nothing is happening. All of a sudden the dough will be a wonderful ball shaped almost like a dumbbell. Your dough is ready to roll out.

Note: If you add to much water this your dough will be tough. If you don't use enough water the dough will be crumbly.

To make the dough should take about 5 minutes.

TO ROLL OUT THE DOUGH:

I clean off a bit of flat counter space. Put down a piece of waxed paper and sprinkle a bit of flour on it. With one half of the dough ball on the waxed paper, sprinkle a bit of flour on it. Don't use too much flour.

Now roll away with your rolling pin!!! Start in the center and roll out to the edge. It will take a few minutes. Work in a circle, rolling out the spokes of a wheel. Soon your dough will be delightfully thin, about 1/8 inch thick.

Take your 10 inch glass pie plate and invert the waxed paper into the pan. Viola! Center the dough and take off the waxed paper.

You'll make the top cover this way too.