Celebrate "Make a Pie Day" on January 23rd

January 23rd is national Make a Pie Day. What a great day to teach your child pie-making basics or to surprise them with sweet treat.

Fool proof Pie Shell courtesy of Family Fun Magazine

Here’s a pie pastry recipe you can really count on for good results. One important tip: be sure to allow enough time for chilling the dough. It’ll help keep the pastry from sticking to the rolling pin. Use this recipe to create a Fauxberry Pie.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup cold unsalted butter
1/4 cup cold vegetable shortening
4 tablespoons cold water

Instructions
Whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Cut the butter and shortening into 1/4-inch pieces and toss them into the dry ingredients by hand to evenly distribute them. Now use a pastry blender to cut them into the flour until they are the size of small peas.

Sprinkle in half of the water and toss well with a fork. Add the remaining water a teaspoon at a time until the pastry will pack into a ball.

Knead the dough once or twice. Then place it on a large sheet of plastic wrap and flatten it into a 3/4-inch-thick disk. Wrap the disk in the plastic and chill it for about 1 hour. You can chill it longer, but it may get too firm; just let it sit at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes before rolling.

Working atop a sheet of lightly floured waxed paper, roll the pie pastry into a 12-inch circle with a flour-dusted rolling pin. Invert the rolled pastry over a 9-inch pie pan and peel off the paper. Gently fit the pastry into the pan without stretching it and pinch the edge into a fluted rim. Chill the shell in the freezer for 15 minutes before using.

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Chocolate Chip Walnut Pie
Ice Cream Pies & Piecrusts
Creamy Pumpkin Pie with Cranberry Topping