SHORTCRUST PASTRY

PG tested

"This is a great all-purpose plain pastry, which is robust and easy to handle," writes Angela Boggiano. This makes 10 ounces of pastry, enough, she notes, to cover a 1-pint dish -- and enough for each recipe tested in this story. To line and cover a 9-inch dish would take 15 ounces of pastry. She writes, "The proportions to remember are half fat to flour, with enough liquid to combine. ... This is the simplest and most widely used pastry and is suitable for either sweet or savory pies." For sweet ones, she adds to the dough mix 2 tablespoons of superfine sugar.

I used shortening. Her method for hand-rubbing the flour into the fat is different, but I rather liked it and might adopt it, at least in cold weather, instead of cutting the fat in with knives.

-- Bob Batz Jr.

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• Pinch salt
• 1/2 stick butter
• 1/4 cup lard or shortening
• 2 to 3 tablespoons water, to mix

Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Cut the fat into cubes and add this to the flour. Use your fingertips to rub the fat into the flour until the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs. Add the water very gradually, stirring it in with a knife. When the dough just sticks together, knead it lightly until it forms a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and allow to rest for at least 15 minutes in the refrigerator. It can be left in the refrigerator for up to two days. Alternatively it can be frozen until ready to use.

-- "Pie" by Angela Boggiano (Mitchell Beazley, 2009, $16.99)

FIDGET PIE

Bob Batz Jr./Post-Gazette

PG tested

"This is a lovely old-fashioned recipe from Shropshire, England, traditionally served to the workers during harvest time," writes Angela Boggiano. "The name of this pie is said to have come from the fact that it was originally 'fitched' or five-sided in shape." I agree with her that the apples and bacon go great together. I didn't have muscovado sugar, so I substituted brown sugar.

-- Bob Batz Jr.

• 10 ounces shortcrust pastry (see below left)
• Milk or beaten egg, to glaze

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 medium potatoes, peeled and finely sliced
• 2 onions, sliced
• 2 cooking apples, peeled, cored and sliced (weighing about 3/4 pound prepared weight)
• 2 teaspoon finely chopped sage
• 2 teaspoon light muscovado sugar
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 3 slices sweetcure bacon, rind removed and cut into 1/2-inch strips
• 2/3 cup vegetable stock

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Heat the butter in a large skillet and gently cook the potatoes, onions and apples in the butter until just golden. Stir in the sage. Transfer the potatoes, onions and apples to a 4-cup pie dish, sprinkle on the sugar and season with salt and pepper.

Place the bacon in the skillet and cook lightly in the remaining fat until golden, then add to the pie dish. Pour over the stock.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry to a thickness of about 1/8 inch and cover the pie, trimming the edges. Make a steam hole and decorate with the trimmings. Brush with milk or egg.

Bake for 30 minutes, then reduce the heat to 325 degrees for a further 10 to 15 minutes until the pie is golden brown.

Serves 4.

-- "Pie" by Angela Boggiano

CHOCOLATE AND PISTACHIO CREAM PIE

Craig Robertson

PG tested

This pie has a deliciously creamy chocolate custard filling that is so simple to make, and it's perfect served warm with scoops of vanilla ice cream, writes Angela Boggiano, who bakes this in a rectangular baking pan so that it's really easy to slice into bars.

-- Bob Batz Jr.

• 10 ounces sweet shortcrust pastry (see above), adding grated zest of 1 orange to the mixture
• 2 tablespoons milk, to glaze

• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup superfine sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 5 ounces bittersweet dark chocolate, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons pistachio nuts, toasted and roughly chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly grease a fluted 14-by-41/2-inch baking pan. Divide the dough into 2 portions, one slightly larger than the other. Roll the larger portion out to a rectangle big enough to line the base and sides of the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator while you make the filling.

Roll out the remaining pastry to a size large enough to cover the top of the pan. Place on a baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and also chill it while you prepare the filling.

Place the eggs and sugar in a bowl and beat together. Stir in the cream, chocolate and pistachio nuts, then pour into the pastry shell. Brush the rim of the pastry with milk and position the lid in place, pressing the edges to seal. Trim the edges and make a steam hole in the middle of the lid. Brush with milk to glaze and sprinkle with superfine sugar.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, then leave to cool for at least 15 minutes before removing from the pan.

Place on a cooling rack and leave to cool for a further 10 minutes before cutting into slices. Letting the pie stand for a few minutes allows it to set, making it easier to slice. Don't worry -- it will still be warm and gooey!

Serves 6.

-- "Pie" by Angela Boggiano

First Published: January 21, 2010, 1:30 p.m.