Tricky Pie Crusts

I really like pie. But I really hate to make pie. It's the crust - always too tough, overbaked or sticks to the pie plate! Is delicious flakey pie crust a possibility or only a magical dream? What do you think? How did your last pie crust turn out? Help!!! Here are some tricks to create a perfect pie along with some pie crust tools you never even knew existed.

• Don't overwork dough when cutting shortening into flour as this causes a hard, tough crust. In other words, quit while your ahead. Try using a pastry pro dough blender. The design allows you to blend the moisture into the flour and shortening with less hand fatigue, it's easy to scrape the bowl and the clog-free diamond shaped cutting blades cause less gumming up of the pastry dough.

• Use ice water when mixing pastry. (Put some ice cubes in water and measure from that container.) Cold water allows the shortening to stay cold and not blend into solid mass. Solid masses turn into tough crusts. You can also keep your rolling pin cool by filling our Stay Cool Rolling Pin with cold tap water. The surface stays cool for several hours and the extra weight makes rolling the dough less work.

• Make sure all equipment is cold (including your hands) when making and working with the dough such as mixing bowl, pastry blender, rolling pin and pastry cloth.

• Use of a pastry cloth to roll out dough will help decrease the amount of flour added to crust. The less flour on the surface, the flakier the pastry.

• Roll from center of dough, raise rolling pin up before reaching the edge, so edge won't become too thin. You might want to try our straight rolling pin and rolling pin rings set. The rings slip onto the rolling pin and provide the correct thickness for the dough.

• Never turn dough over. Remove bits of dough from rolling pin as you work as not to tear the dough.

• Want to make the perfect size circle for your pie plate without tearing or sticking? Pie crust makers are the answer to the dimension problem. Place dough into plastic pouch, zip shut and start rolling from the center outward. When you reach the edge, remove and you have the right size.

• To fit in pie shell, fold in half and place fold in the center of plate, unfold the crust and loosely fit into plate. Don't stretch or pull the dough, which can cause the pastry to shrink as it bakes.

• Keep your pie crust from burning with pie crust shields. Just place on top of pie crust before baking and leave on during baking time. You can purchase them in silicone or aluminum and one piece or set of arches to fit any size pie.