Baking Basics

My granddaughter made this pie crust the other day. It turned out nice and flaky. The secret to most pie crust is not to over work it. It is the same with baking powder biscuits. Measure all you dry ingredients first then add your wet ingredients. mix them both just enough to get the dry ingredients moist. NEVER FAIL PIE CRUST 1 c. shortening 2 c. flour 1 tsp. salt 1 tbsp. vinegar 1/3 c. milk Cut shortening into flour and salt until the shorting is all mixed through the dry ingredients and the flour is course and grainy. Add vinegar to milk. Combine at once with flour mixture and mix. turn out onto a lightly floured surface divide in to and form a nice ball and roll it out. Makes pastry for 2 crust pie. This recipe never fails.

You could try and find a baking book for beginners. or one that says easy on the cover or something. DUnno. around here there is plenty of those available. I only have a great recipe, foolproof because I can not bake to save my life, for Muffins. 100gr butter 1,5 dl sugar 2,5 dl flower 200gr quark 2 teespoons of baking powder 1 egg. I melt the butter to make the mixing easier. just add it all together and mix it well. the consistency should be sticky, elastic just-not-liquid. add toping to liking. I love it with blueberries. be generous with those!

I make great piecrust and the secret is to have cold hands. I use the recipe on the Fluffo shortning box, but they will all work. If it's a hot day then chill your dough after making it. Wash your hands in cold water before handling it, and then just make your pie. Try not to touch it any more than you have to because that will make it tough. Also, use ice-cold water in the recipe and when you cook it use a really hot oven - 400 degrees for the first 15 minutes.