Toll House Pie*

From Nestle
Makes one nine-inch pie

1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell
2 large eggs
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts
whipped cream and vanilla ice cream

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Make the pie shell.

In the bowl of an electric mixer beat the eggs on high until light and fluffy. Add the flour, sugar, and brown sugar and mix well. Beat in butter and vanilla. Add the chocolate chips and walnuts.

Spoon the dough into the pie shell and bake for approximately 1 hour until a toothpick inserted halfway from the edge and the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack and serve warm with whipped cream and ice cream.

Double Pie Crust

2 ½ C. flour

3/4 C. shortening

3/4 tsp. salt

8 to 10 Tablespoons (1/2 c. plus 2 T.) ice cold water

1. Combine flour and salt in a mixing bowl.

2. Gently cut in shortening with a pastry blender until pea sized.

3. Sprinkle 6 tablespoons of the cold water over flour mixture, tossing lightly with a fork or rubber scraper. Add the remaining water 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with a fork, and press to the side of the bowl until all is moistened.

4. Divide dough in half, and gently pat into 2 lightly flattened balls. (Don’t over-work your dough at this point. You should just gently gather the dough into two slightly flattened pieces, not two tightly compressed dough balls.)

5. For a 2-crust pie:

Bottom - On a lightly floured surface, roll one ball from center to edges, to form a 12” circle. Fold in half or roll the pastry around the rolling pin. Unfold or unroll it over a 9” pie plate. Ease the pastry into the plate, and, using kitchen shears, trim the dough so that there is a one-inch overhang of pie dough. Fill the crust with the desired filling.

Top - On a lightly floured surface, roll the second ball from center to edges, to form a 12” circle. Place the top crust on the filling, and cut slits or shapes to allow steam to escape. Using kitchen shears, trim the pastry one inch beyond the rim. Fold the top edge over the trimmed bottom edge, and flute the edge to seal.

Bake pie as directed on individual recipes.

6. For a lattice top pie:

Bottom - On a lightly floured surface, roll one ball from center to edges, to form a 12” circle. Fold in half or roll the pastry around the rolling pin. Unfold or unroll it over a 9” pie plate. Ease the pastry into the plate, and, using kitchen shears, trim 1” beyond the rim of the pan. Fill the crust with the desired filling.

Top - On a lightly floured surface, roll the second ball from center edges, to form a 12” circle. Using a pizza cutter, cut the pastry in 1/2” strips. Starting at the center of the pie, weave the strips over the filling to make a lattice. Press the ends of the strips into the rim of the bottom crust. Fold the bottom crust over the strips, and flute the edge to seal.

Bake pie as directed on individual recipes.

Single Pie Crust

1 ½ C. flour

½ cup + 2 Tbsp. shortening

1 tsp. salt

3-5 Tbsp. ice cold water

1. Combine flour and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in shortening thoroughly, until the shortening is the size of unpopped popcorn kernels.

2. Sprinkle water in 1 Tbsp. at a time, mixing with a rubber scraper or fork until all flour is moistened. DO NOT use the pastry cutter to mix in water.

(Add 1-2 tsp. more if necessary). Do not over-mix dough.

3. Gather dough into a ball. Roll out and place in a 9” pie pan. Flute edges.

4. Prick the sides and bottom of the crust.