Pearberry Pie with Lynn's Pie Crust

What to do with this leftover pie crust? My mom's recipe that I quadrupled for holiday baking had lots of leftover bits that I smooshed together into a large handful and refrigerated. It's not enough for a big pie, but too much to toss. I love this crust because it's straight-up pliable, even from the refrigerator, and it still bakes into a crisp crust.


Let's make a 6" pear pie! Okay, first we'll roll out our crust and pinch it cutely. Then we'll chop up a fat, moderately-ripe d'anjou pear and toss it with the juice of 1/2 a lemon, a tiny pinch of salt, a tablespoon of flour and 2 tablespoons of sugar. Let's dust it with cardamom and cinnamon, too. Great.


What about that handful of summer blackberries I froze in a way-too-big tupperware that's taking up room in the freezer? We'll throw those in too. Oh and we'll use up the last two tablespoons of ginger-pear jam that's loitering in the refrigerator by spreading it over the pie crust. Excellent. Now toss in the filling and let's bake it up. You're right, I can't toss the extra little bit of crust leftover. I'll give the pie a yamulke.


It bakes up brilliantly at 375º and after about 45 minutes I am drooling from the fragrance in my kitchen. I manage to wait until it cools to non-lip-burning levels and then eat my half of the pie seated on the countertop, leaving the dishes for another day.


Lynn's Pie Crust
Makes one 9" pie

1-1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 T sugar
1 tsp milk
1/2 cup vegetable shortening

Mix together the flour, salt and sugar. Make a well in the center and pour in the milk and add the shortening. Cut together with a pastry cutter or a fork until mixed completely. The crust will be soft and pliable. Roll it to 1/4" thick and fill as desired. Bake at 375º for 30-45 minutes, or follow the recipe for your filling.

You can refrigerate it for two weeks or freeze indefinitely, wrapped well in plastic.