I don't know about you but I get tired of having the same old crust all the time. I've included some recipes for various types of crusts that work well with tarts, meat pies, vegetable pies or your dessert pies. Try the savory tomato crust with a goat cheese and mushroom tart or here are some other ideas for you: Experiment with different seasonings and additions to crusts such as nuts, sun dried tomatoes, mushrooms, onions even some of the premade packets of dips can make a tasty crust when added to basic ingredients. Happy Cooking

A savory chicken casserole in a cornmeal crust
A mushroom filling in a sour cream crust
A tasty beef filling in a herb crust
A rich tomato and cheese tart filling in a parmesan cheese crust
Lemon Cheesecake filling in a gingersnap crust

Basic Pie Crust

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
2/3 c. shortening
1/2 tsp salt
4-5 Tbsp ice water

Sift together flour and salt. Cut in shortening with pastry blender or two knives until a small crumb texture.
Sprinkle ice water 1 tablespoon at a time over flour-shortening mixture. Gently stir with a fork until all is moistened. Pat into a ball. On a lightly floured surface, flatten ball slightly and roll 1/8-inch thick. Place in pie pan and proceed as directed.

Basic Bread Crumb Crust

2 cups fresh bread crumbs, toasted and crushed coarsley
1 - 2 Tbsp. freshly chopped parsley
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
6 Tbsp butter, melted

Mix together all the dry ingredients combining thoroughly. Drizzle in the melted butter and toss with a fork until the mixture is uniformly moistened. Press into a 9" pie pan with non-stick spray and prebake at 350 for 10 minutes.

Wheat Crumb Crust

1 c Bread crumbs whole wheat, crushed well
1/4 c whole wheat flour
1/2 c Wheat germ raw
1/2 c Oats rolled raw
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Basil and/or marjoram to taste
1/2 c Margarine, melted

Mix together all the dry ingredients combining thoroughly. Drizzle in the melted margarine and toss with a fork until the mixture is uniformly moistened. Press into a 9" pie pan with non-stick spray and prebake at 350 for 10 minutes.

Parmesan Crust

1 cup sifted all purpose unbleached flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup softened unsalted butter
2 Tbsp best quality extra virgin olive oil
4-5 tablespoons cold water

Preheat oven to 350º F.

Pulse flours, butter and cheese in a food processor until you get a crumbly blend. Pulse in 3T of ice water and olive oil (more water if needed). Place in pie pan and press down and work it until it is covering the pie pan. Chill for 15 minutes.

Remove the crust from the refrigerator and pierce several times with a fork. Cover with a square of aluminum foil and fill generously with pie weights. Place on a baking sheet and slide the crust onto the middle rack in the oven. Bake for 15 minutes, pull the shell out of the oven and very gently peel back and remove the foil after removing the weights. Now if you are filling with a meat or vegetable filling that has to be baked this would be the time to fill the pie crust. Then place the filled crust back in the oven and allow to cook for as long as needed. If completely baking the pie crust before filling cook another 10 minutes or until golden brown and sprinkle bottom with a little more parmesan and let cool down.

Sweet Potato Crust

2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup shortening
1 cup mashed sweet potato
1 egg, well beaten

Combine flour, baking powder and salt; cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add cold sweet potatoes and egg, blending well. Roll dough out on lightly floured surface to 1/4-inch thick. This is a great crust for a meat pie!

Cornmeal Crust

1 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter
1 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1 tsp salt
3 Tbsps ice water
pie weights or raw rice

Chop butter into pieces.
In a food processor pulse together flour, cornmeal, and salt.
Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal (don't over process).
Add ice water and pulse until mixture just forms a dough.
Press dough evenly into bottom and up sides of a 10 1/2- by 7- by 1-inch rectangular tart pan with a removable fluted rim. Trim to make edges neat.
Chill crust about 20 minutes, or until firm.
While crust is chilling, preheat oven to 375°F.
Line crust with foil and fill with pie weights or raw rice.
Bake crust in lower part of oven until edge is set, 10 minutes.
Carefully remove foil and weights or rice and bake crust 5 minutes more, or until just dry.
Leave oven on and cool crust in pan on a rack (crust may crack slightly).
After completely cooled crust my be covered in wrap and left at room temperature up to a day before you need it.

Gingersnap Crust

1 1/2 cups gingersnap crumbs fine
1/4 cup powdered sugar
6 Tbsps butter melted
1/2 tsp cinnamon, ground

Prepare the crumbs in a food processor and transfer to a bowl.
With a fork, mix in the powdered sugar, butter and cinnamon.
Spray a 9-inch pie pan with a nonstick cooking spray and press the crumb crust into the pan.
Bake in a preheated 325º F oven 5 minutes.
Cool 10 minutes on a rack.

Savory Tomato Crust

2 cups toasted bread crumbs, crushed coarsley
3 sun-dried tomatoes
1 - 2 Tbsp. freshly chopped parsley
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
4 Tbsp butter, melted
2 Tbsp tomato juice

In a food processor, mix together all the dry ingredients and tomatoes. Pulse until crumbly. Drizzle in the melted butter and tomato juice and pulse until the mixture is just uniformly moistened. Press into a 9" pie pan with non-stick spray and prebake at 350 º F for 10 minutes.




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