Saturday, September 5, 2009

Aunt Mae's Boiling Water Pie Crust

I know the title is a mouthful, but this is a great crust recipe. It is no-fail. It supposedly makes a two crust pie, but it would be a very small two crust pie, so I normally 1 1/2 the recipe. But this is perfect for a single crust pie--like quiche.

1/2 c. shortening, butter, lard, or combination
1/2 c. boiling water
3/4 t. salt
1 1/2 c. flour

Whip the shortening in the water until it has melted. (With shortening it creates a nice whipped look).) Add salt and flour. For the most tender, flaky crust, refrigerate for at least an hour (my mom rolls it out in the pan before chilling the crust). Roll out crust to desired size and place in pan. (I like rolling it out on my silpat.)

Basic Quiche

This is a multi-purpose quiche recipe, which means that I rarely make it the same way. But this is the basic bit.

9 eggs
1/2 c. milk
6 slices bacon, cooked, drained, and crumbled
salt
pepper
3 c. cheese (our favorites are varieties of Swiss--Emmental, Gruyere, etc.--but I use anything on hand)
any other additions (we love adding thawed frozen chopped spinach)

Beat the eggs with the milk. Add the crumbled bacon and salt and pepper. Fold in cheese and any veggies. Pour into a prepared pie pan that has been pre-baked for a 10 minutes (I only do this occasionally, but it yields a slightly crisper crust). Bake at 375 for 35-45 minutes.