SWEET POTATO PONE: (after Marcelle Bienvenu):
1 egg
1 cup brown sugar
1 stick butter
2 cups grated sweet potato
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1 cup chopped pecans, lightly toasted
Beat egg with sugar and softened butter. Mix together with grated sweet potato, salt and milk. Add spice, if you want. Pour into buttered casserole and bake at 325 degrees for 30 or 40 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped pecans and return to oven for 30 minutes or until it sets.
CUISINART PIE CRUST:
1 3/4 cups unbleached white flour, all purpose
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter, thinly sliced
2 tbs solid vegetable shortening, preferably natural soybean margerine, cold, coarsely chunked
about 1/4 cup ice water, in a small pitcher in the freezer
Put the flour and salt in the cuisinart and buzz 1 second with the steel blades, you don't need to sift. Spread around on the top of the flour the butter and shortening, then buzz for 1 second. Inspect. You are trying to achieve the formation of little balls of shortening about the size of corn niblets. If one second has not done it, try again. Three 1 second bursts usually do it. When you have good niblets, carefully measure the 1/4 cup ice water and pour it carefully into the chimney in the cuisinart cover, the one with the little hole in the bottom. First, though, start the motor, then pour the water all at once into the chimney, and then watch. It will suddenly unite into a single ball riding on top of the blades, thumping against the side. Stop the machine, pull out the chimney, don't let another drop of water in, it will make the dough soggy and unmanageable. Transfer the ball to a lightly floured surface, knead it with the heel of your hand for maybe 1 minute. Dust your hand with flour to keep dough from sticking, but don't work too much extra flour into the dough or it will be tough. The dough will begin to feel elastic and satiny smooth. Shape it into a thick round slab, lightly sprinkle with more flour, wrap in plastic wrap and set it in the coldest part of the refrigerator for at least two hours or even overnight, while the dough "relaxes."
You already know how to roll it out, and all that. |
