Pasties

Makes 8

Ingredients

Remade Pie Crust. (2 boxes if you are using half a crust, 4 if using a full crust)
5 potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1/4 cup melted butter
1 teaspoon of minced garlic in water
2 packages of beef cubes
Sliced carrots
Dried onion - optional
Salt
Pepper
Water

Prepare your ingredients - Peel and slice potatoes before pouring the melted butter and garlic over them and mixing. Sprinkle the beef cubes in salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 400

Roll out the crusts, cut in half if making half pasties

Make a layer of potatoes in the center of the crust

Make a layer of beef over the potatoes

Add a small handful of the carrots on top of the beef

Sprinkle the dried onion on top if using it

Fold the pie crust over and pinch/twist it to create a twist effect

Cut slits in the top, 3-4

Cook for 45 minutes

Pull out of the oven and decrease temperature to 350

Spoon a tablespoon of water into each slit

Cook for 15 more minutes

Serve

Coconut Crust

2 cups shredded coconut
2-3 Tbs coconut oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Add one cup of coconut to a food processor

Add the oil on top of the coconut

Add the other cup of coconut

Pulse until the mixture is small enough to cover the bottom of a pan.

Put in the pan and bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown, be careful it can burn.

Pie Dough

** dough for two-single crust pies or one-double crust pie **

1 c. (8 oz.) unsalted butter
10.5 oz. flour (roughly 2 1/2 cups)
1 tsp. salt
1/4 - 1/2 c. milk, buttermilk, cream, or water (Mitzi likes buttermilk)

Place butter in a mixing bowl and let it rest.  You want the butter to warm a little bit so that it is easier to handle.  I let mine sit for about 30 min.  Measure in flour and salt.  Using your fingers, snap butter pieces in half.  The motion is just like snapping your finger and thumb normally but now you are using all 4 fingers.  Continue snapping butter pieces in half coating your fingers with the flour in the bowl as necessary.  It almost should look like you are just playing in the flour.  Once the butter is in small pieces and mixture is crumbly, add wet ingredient (milk, cream, etc.).  Stir wet ingredient into flour mixture by stirring with one finger.  Let mixture rest for about 5 minutes while it soaks up the moisture like a sponge.

At this point the mixture should have pockets of wetter dough and pockets of dry dough.  Dump dough (all of it) onto the counter and push together like building a sand castle.  Flip over and push together again.  You may need to separate wetter pieces to try to get dry pieces to stick.

Be careful not to over-mix through this entire process.

Once you have a mound, place in saran wrap.  Wrap tightly and put in the fridge overnight.

When you are ready to make your crust, take out of fridge.  If the dough is hard and cold (which is should be) don't try to roll.  Take your rolling pin and beat it flatter.  As it warms you can transfer over to rolling it out.  Make sure to use lots of flour as you roll out the pie crust.

Once the dough is in the pan, place in fridge for about 20 minutes before baking.  This will reduce the amount the pie crusts will shrink in the cooking process.

Gesine's Pie Crust

2 c. cold all-purpose flour
1 c. unsalted butter (cut into small pieces and chilled in the freezer for about 10 minutes)
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 c. ice-cold water
1 tsp. lemon juice

In the bowl of the food processor fitted with the blade attachment, pulse together flour, butter, sugar and salt until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.  In a small bowl whisk together water and lemon juice.  Slowly add to the flour mixture, pulsing until dough just comes together.  Squeeze  a small piece of dough between your thumb and index finger to make sure it holds its shape.  Follow pie recipe for dividing and refrigerating dough.

Flaky Pastry Pie Crust

2 1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. butter, chilled and diced
1/2 c. ice water

Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl.

Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Stir in the ice water, a Tablespoon at a time, until the crust mixture forms a ball.

Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

Sprinkle flour onto rolling surface.  Roll dough out, the divide in half.  Roll each half to fit a 9-inch pie plate.

Place crust in pie plate, pressing evenly into the bottom and sides.

Makes 2 9-inch pie crusts

Never Fail Pie Crust

3 c. flour, sifted

1/2 tsp. salt

1 egg

1 c. shortening

1 tsp. vinegar

6 - 7 Tbsp. cold water

Mix flour and salt with shortening until coarsely combined, about like small peas.  Mix together with vinegar, egg and 1 Tbsp. cold water.  Pour over flour mixture and blend until it holds together.  If more water is needed, add another Tablespoon.  Chill before rolling.  Makes 2 9-inch crusts.

If needs to be baked - bake at 350 F for 7 - 10 minutes.