Day 2 Pies and shopping

I miss one stop shopping. Gone are the days when I use to park my highly un-economical and un-earth friendly vehicle in a parking lot the size of Wisconsin, grab my super size shopping cart and start perusing the 572 aisles chock full of everything known to man. The American Supermarket. *Sigh* Oh those days are gone. Now, when I have a shopping list of things like the one for this Thanksgiving, I have to co-ordinate the time, places and how many carts and eco-friendly bags its going to take me. So, now I just lace up my converse, grab my grandma cart (with ice cooler included, its so cool you have no idea) and map out the diverse amounts of markets, stores and stands that I am going to visit to get your basic ingredients.

So, today, shopped for the basics that I could get across the street. Stuff like flour, butter, basic veggies (but can you imagine they didn´t have sweet potatoes or corn starch?!?) to start making the pie dough. Today, I just basically tackled the Pâte Sucrée. This is your basic pie crust. You can use this for Pecan, Pumpkin, Apple......the list is infinate. I am personally using this for a Cranberry tart. I know in my last post I said I was making a Cranberry upside down cake, but this morning in the shower, I realized, I use ground almonds in my cake. I have one particular guest, who is the most epicurious of all, and he was very very excited to try the cranberry cake. but uh-oh. He´s allergic to nuts. So I had to crazily think of another option that would include cranberries. So, instead of your bluberry pie, I am making cranberry tarte. It sounds so much more sofisticated, vrai?

So, on to the recipe for my basic Pâte Sucrée, courtesy of ESCUELA CULINARIA HOFMANN (My alma mater)

575 gr (2 1/2 cups) flour

4 Tbps sugar

230 gr. ( 1 cup)unsalted butter (chilled and cut into little cubes)

2 egg yolks, slightly beaten

55ml. (1/4 cup) ice water.

In the bowl of a mixer or food processor (if you don´t have one, just a med size bowl) combine the flour and sugar. Add the butter, and mix or process until it resembles coarse crumbs.....if you are doing this by hand, you have to dip your hands into the flour and butter, and mix with the tip of your fingers until this happens, this takes about 10 minutes. (I know...time consuming...buy hey, you like to cook, right?)

In a small bowl, mis the ice water with the egg yolks. While your machine is running, add the egg and water mixture. Mix until dough comes together without being wet or sticky. If it is too wet, add a little more flour (tbsp at a time) or if it is too crumbly, add a little more water (tbsp at a time) this shouldn´t take you more than 30 seconds. When it is done, make it into a ball, flatten it into a disk, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour, preferably overnight.

You can freeze this for up to a month!