That's Amore!

When the moon hits your eye, like a big pecan pie... Okay, so it's supposed to be pizza pie, but I've got pecan pies on the mind! I provide pies/desserts for my family's holiday dinners, and my niece and I get together before Christmas and do holiday baking! Because not only do I love to eat desserts, but I love to make them.

This weekend, my niece (who is almost 13!!! OMG!!!) will come over to my house and we'll use my new Kitchen Aid mixer to bake sugar cookies, gingerbread cookies, chocolate truffles, lemon pound cake and I'm thinking of trying caramel popcorn. We package up the goodies and give them to our extended family as Christmas gifts. Everyone seems to like them, this gives me special time with my niece, and she and I get to eat yummy treats! It's a win-win-win!

Londo has generously offered to take the Pumpkin to the mall with him on a busy Saturday afternoon while he does his Christmas shopping. Not only does he hate shopping, but he hates the mall, and he REALLY hates the crowds in the mall around the holidays (his is a crotchety young man, after all). So he is wonderful to go at a time that he'd rather not be there and to take the baby, which means not a quick in-and-out trip. Thank you, sweetheart!

But back to pies... I have such trouble with rolling out pie crusts! It always sticks to the rolling pin or counter, no matter how much flour I use, and I can't seem to roll it evenly. This summer, I bought a ceramic rolling pin which is supposed to help because you put it in the fridge for 20 minutes before you start rolling so the dough won't stick. We'll see if that helps.

Two years ago, I discovered the book I Love Pies and Tarts, by Nancy Kershner, that has the best recipe for a No-Roll Pie Dough. It has been wonderful! I halve the recipe and use it for the bottom crust of my pecan pie. I'm not sure how you would use do a top crust from it, but it works great on the bottom. I highly recommend the book in general, too!

The recipe basically says to mix 2 and 1/4 cups of flour, 2 TBSP sugar, and 2 TSP salt directly in the pie tin, then add 3/4 cup oil and 3 TBSP milk to the mix, and press it into the edges and up the sides of the pie tin. You can bake it first at 425 degrees F for 12 to 15 minutes, or just add your filling and bake however long the pie recipe says. And then, enjoy tasty, tasty pie!