Pies And Pastries Recipes

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 tsp salt 1/3 cup frozen lard or shortening cut into bits 3 tbl ice water

To ensure a tender crust, this recipe should not be doubled. Thoroughly freezing the lard or shortening will give you the flakiest crust. PLACE THE FLOUR AND SALT in the bowl of a food processor and pulse 2-3 times. Scatter the lard or shortening over the flour mixture. Sprinkle with the water and process about 5 seconds or until dough just begins to form. Shape into a ball, then flatten it slightly. Dust lightly with flour and place in the center of a 2-gallon-size plastic storage bag. It may be refrigerated at this point up to 40 minutes. With the storage bag open and the dough circle centered in the bag, roll the dough into a circle that almost touches the edges of the bag. Cut and discard the top sheet of the plastic bag so that the dough is lying on the bottom sheet. Flip onto the pie plate; peel the plastic off and discard. Cut the pastry so it hangs about an inch over the rim. Lightly press the overhanging pastry under (between the pastry and the pie tin). Pinch or crease the edges of the pastry in a zigzag or fluted pattern. This is not only decorative, it also acts as a wall to keep the filling in. Yield: 1 single-crust 8- to 10-inch pie shell.

Note:

1 3/4 lb Baklava phyllo leaves 4 cup Almond crumbs 1 1/4 cup Butter 1/2 cup Sugar 1 tsp Cinnamon Syrup 4 cup Sugar 3 cup Water 1/2 cup Honey 1 stk cinnamon 5 whl cloves, up to 6

Blanch then chop the almonds. Mix them with the sugar and cinnamon. Brush a medium size baking pan with melted butter. Lay 4 baklava phyllo leaves in the pan, buttering each beforehand. Lay more phyllo on top, this time without buttering them. Sprinkle with chopped almonds. Lay in another layer of phyllo, this time burshing with butter. Sprinkle with almonds. Continue laying in phyllo leaves and crushed almonds in the same way, until only five phyllo leaves remain. Brush these last phyllo leaves very well with butter and lay on the top. Cut away any phyllo ends overlapping the sides of the pan with a sharp knife. With the same knife, cut through the top phyllo leaves, scoring serving size squares in the baklava. Dip your fingers in a dish of water andsprinkle the top layer of phyllo leaves. Put the baklava in a moderate oven to bake for almost one hour. Meanwhile, boil the sugar in the water for five minutes. Add the honey and spices and boil for five minutes more. Remove the spices and keep the syrup hot. Take the baklava from the oven and let it cool. Pour the syrup over the baklava. After it cools, cut the baklava completely through and serve the pieces on a platter. NOTES : 1. For Walnut Baklava: 1. Replace almonds with walnuts. 2. Syrup uses 3 1/2 cups sugar and 1 1/2 cups honey. 2. The baklava can also be made with half walnuts and half almonds.

Note:

1 1/3 cup All-purpose flour 1/2 tsp Salt 1/2 cup Margarine 1 cup Apples -- sliced thin 3 tbl Sugar 2 tbl Almonds -- sliced 3 tbl Apricot preserves -- or Peach

1. Sift the 1-1/3 cup flour with the salt into a large mixing bowl. Cut in the solid margarine or butter with pastry blender until mixture is the size of small peas. 2. Sprinkle 4-5 tablespoons water, a little at a time, over the flour while stirring with a fork, until mixture is just moist enough to hold together. 3. Form into a square and flatten to 1/2 inch. Roll out on floured surface to 12 inch square. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. 4. Toss sliced apples with 1 tablespoon of flour. Place slices down center third of dough. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of sugar over apples. 5. Fold up about 1/2 inch at each end. Fold sides over apples, leaving an inch of apples showing down center. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar and sliced almonds. 6. Bake in preheated 450-degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. 7. Spread immediately with preserves. If preferred, omit the preserves and frost with a thin glaze made of powdered sugar thinned with milk and vanilla or orange extract.

Note: