* Ali E Challenge * Mamaw's Pie Crust

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* Ali E Challenge * Mamaw's Pie Crust

Here is my take on last week's Ali Ezine challenge to use 3 stamps. My stamp choices were the 7 gypsies observation stamp (top left), the small swirl stamp at the top of the journaling, and my alphabet stamps also at the top of the journaling. Papers are WRMK. Journaling reads: My Mamaw was known for her pies and her pie crust. She taught me how to make it by just explaining it to me out in my Mom's yard one day. Of course, there was no written recipe and not even really any measurements she could tell me. She said to take my largest mixing bowl and sift in flour till it was about 2/3 full. Next I should add a pinch of salt and then stick my fist in the center and make a well. While I am doing this, I should have an “ice tea glass” full of ice water getting cold. Next she said to take a pound of lard (not Crisco, lard..) and cut it or break it into pieces and fill the well I made with my fist. Now add some of the ice water and then begin to mix with your hands. She said to just keep pushing the lard thru my fingers and keep pulling in more and more of the flour, and then add more ice water as needed. This was my 1 and only pie crust lesson. Believe it or not, this is how I still make it. You only have to do it once to understand why Mamaw's hands were so strong. It is hard work to mix by hand and it is COLD! I tried it once in my Kitchen Aid mixer, but I didn't get enough water in it and it came out too dry. I have the most success when I just do it the way she taught me. I am told mine is not quite the same as hers was but that I am pretty close. I take that as high praise. One plus to this recipe is once you make it, you have enough for at least 4 double crust pies. What you don't use right away, stores well in the freezer. I love remembering her telling me how to make it. I love remembering rolling out pie dough with her when I was a little girl. I guess I used to make pies for my Dad in these little pie pans she had. I have this one now on display in my kitchen. I guess when she was making pies she would give me a piece of dough to play with. I would roll it out and scrunch it up again and again and then finally put it in the pan and make a pie for my Dad. I can remember giving them to him. They must have tasted awful, but he ate them. When Mamaw first gave me this pan after I was married I made my Dad a pumpkin pie in that pan as a surprise. He thought it was so cool, he almost took a bite of it straight from the oven! Do you know how hot that would have been? Wow. It was fun and sweet to surprise him and bring up those old memories.