No-fail Pastry (...makes about 5 or 6 pastry shells, or 3 shells and tops.)

6 cup cake & pastry flour
1 tbl salt
3 tbl brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 lb crisco vegetable shortening
1 egg
2 tbl cider vinegar
cold water

1. Mix flour, salt, sugar, baking powder well.
2. Cut crisco into mix with a knife.
3. Use a pastry cutter to cut crisco into small lumps, about pea-sized.
4. Beat egg in a 1 cup measuring cup.
5. Add vinegar to egg, mix.
6. Add enough cold water to the vinegar-egg mix to make 1 cup of liquid.
7. Add liquid slowly to dry ingredients, and mix with a fork or large spoon, to a smooth doughy consistency.
8. Pastry is ready to roll. Because it's a little sticky, you'll end up adding more flour as you go, rolling and such.
9. It can handle being handled. Its consistency might change depending on humidity or temperature. It might feel tough or feel like it will fall apart, but it usually turns out fine. You can also wrap it up wax paper and a plastic bag, and freeze it for later use.

My Mom says it's pretty much a no-fail recipe. I haven't made it on my own yet (i tried making pastry once with a different recipe, and it was awful).

Recipe for Crustless Veggie Quiche (Fritatta)

Standard Ingredients (serves 6-8):

2 cups of chopped broccoli or sliced cauliflower
1 chopped medium onion (0.5 cup)
1 chopped small green bell pepper (0.5 cup) (we never use peppers, but always have tomato)
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
3/4 cup of Bisquick baking mix
1.5 cups of milk
1 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
3 eggs

1. Heat oven to 400 F. Grease deep dish pie plate (10" diameter, 1.5 " deep).
2. Heat 1" of water to boiling, add broccoli, boil 5 minutes or till almost tender. Drain throroughly.
3. Mix broccoli, onion, bell pepper and cheese in pie plate.
4. Stir Bisquick, eggs, salt and pepper until blended. Pour into pie plate.
5. Bake uncovered 35 to 40 minutes, or until knife inserted between centre and edge comes out clean. Leave 5 minutes before serving.

Variation Ingredients (serves 6-8):

1 cup of chopped broccoli (2 seems like a lot!)
1 chopped medium onion (0.5 cup)
2 small potatoes
1/2 cup corn
1/2 cup corn
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
3/4 cup of Bisquick baking mix
1.5 cups of milk
1 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
3 eggs
1 small tomato
grated parmesan cheese

1. Heat oven to 400 F. Grease deep dish pie plate (10" diameter, 1.5 " deep).
2. Saute onion before adding to the pie plate.
3. Boil the potatoes, broccoli and corn (not together of course). Drain throroughly. The potatoes should be soft, and when done, cut into thin slices.
4. Mix broccoli, onion, potato slices, corn and cheese in pie plate.
5. Cut pieces of of the tomato (the firmer bits), and arrange decoratively over the other ingredients.
6. Bake uncovered 35 to 40 minutes, or until knife inserted between centre and edge comes out clean. Leave 5 minutes before serving.
7. Sprinkle parmesan on top as soon as it comes out of the oven.
8. We had it reheated. If you've refrigerated it, make sure to let the pie sit out for half an hour to warm up the pie plate. Put in the oven for about 20 minutes at medium low heat to make sure it's warm at the centre. If the plate is put in cold, the reheating could crack the glass.

Cookie Crumb Pie Crust

1 1/2 cup crumbs
1/4 cup melted butter or margarine

1. Blend mixture.
2. Pat mixture over sides and bottom 8" pan.
3. Bake in oven 350 F for 10 minutes.
4. Chill then fill.

Bread Crumb Pie Crust

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tbl water
1 cup fine dry bread crumbs
1 tsp cinnamon

1. Heat first 3 ingredients to boiling, then turn to low.
2. Stir in crumbs and cinnamon, until well-mixed.
3. Turn into 8" square pie pan.
4. Press into uniform layer over sides and bottom.
5. Bake in oven 350 F for 10 minutes.
6. Chill then fill.

Butter Tarts

2 tbl soft butter (gotta be butter!)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup currants or raisins, washed and dried
pastry

1. Cream butter & sugar together well.
2. Combine with syrup, egg, vanilla and fruit.
3. Line tart tray with rolled pastry.
4. Fill each tart 3/4 full with filling.
5. Bake in a hot oven, 425 F, for 9-12 minutes.
6. Makes 12 medium tarts.

Cream Cheese & Strawberry Pie

1 quart strawberries
1 cup white sugar
1/3 cup corn starch
1 tbl lemon juice
125 g cream cheese
1/2 cup white sugar
1 envelope Dream Whip
1 baked pie shell
2 tbl butter
water

1. Wash and hull berries.
2. Slice in halves, and add 1 cup of sugar. Let sit covered overnight, or at least two hours.
3. Drain off juice, and add enough water/juice to make 1 3/4 cup liquid.
4. Blend cornstarch and about 1/4 cup of the liquid into a paste.
5. Add rest of the liquid.
6. Cook over direct heat, with constant stirring until sauce boils and is clear. Cook another few minutes, remove from heat.
7. Add lemon juice and butter.
8. Fold in berries. Let cool.
9. Beat cream cheese until soft.
10. Blend in 1/2 cup sugar.
11. Prepare Dream Whip mix as directed in package.
12. Blend 1 cup of Dream Whip into cream cheese mixture.
13. Spoon mixture into bottom of pie shell. Chill.
14. Spoon strawberry mixture on top of cream cheese mixture.
15. Garnish with remaining Dream Whip.

Lemon Meringue Pie

1 cup white sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup water
3 eggs, separated
1/3 cup real lemon juice (or juice and rind of 1 lemon) - nothing with lemon oil in it!
pinch salt
2 tbl butter
6 tbl white sugar
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
1 chilled baked pie shell

1. Combine 1 cup sugar, flour and a little of the water in a pot. Mix until smooth.
2. Beat egg yolks, add to sugar mixture and stir well.
3. Add remaining water. Cook over 10 minutes, starting at high heat until it begins to steam, then grtadually reducing heat to lowest. Stir constantly, to prevent sticking on bottom. As mix gets thicker, stir faster to prevent lumps. It will not look clear like commercial pie fillings, it'll be a light opaque yellow.
4. Add lemon juice, salt and butter. Mix well.
5. Pour while hot into chilled shell.
6. Combine cream of tartar and egg white. Whip until stiff.
7. Add 6 tbl sugar gradually, beating constantly.
8. Spread egg white mix over pie.
9. Bake at 325 F, for 20 minutes.

Pumpkin Pie

1 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/4 cup molasses
14 oz can pumpkin
1 cup evaporated milk, scalded
1 unbaked pie shell

1. Combine sugar, salt, spices thoroughly.
2. Stir in eggs, then molasses.
3. Add pumpkin, taking care mixture is well-blended.
4. Scald evaporated milk.
5. Stir milk into mixture.
6. Pour into pie shell.
7. Bake at in very hot oven 425 F, for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 325 F and continue baking additional 35 min, until filling is firm and crust is well-browned.

Christmas Mince Pie (about two pies or equivalent in tarts)

5 medium apples (such as mackintosh)
1 1/4 cup raisins
1 orange's rind/juice/pulp (no seeds, white or section skin)
2 tbl lemon juice
2 tbl cider vinegar
1 cup dried currants
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 brown sugar
1/3 cup candied peel
2/3 cup shortening or hard margarine
1 unbaked pie shell
1-2 tbl rum and/or sherry
cornstarch

1. Grate orange rind, separate pulp juice from rest.
2. Chop apples and raisins.
3. Combine all the ingredients in a pot, mix well.
4. Bring to a boil, and turn down to simmer for about 30 minutes.
5. Store in jars in a cool dry place (fridge will do), in closely covered jars until ready for use (at least two weeks).
6. When using it, if it's too runny, thicken with cornstarch.
7. Pour into pie shell.
8. Bake at in very hot oven 425 F, for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 325 F and continue baking additional 35 min, until filling is firm and crust is well-browned.

Raspberry Pie

3 cup red or black raspberries
2/3-3/4 cup white sugar , depending on tartness of berries
3 tbl flour
pinch salt
1 tbl butter
unbaked 9" pie shell and top
milk and sugar, or egg

1. Wash, drain berries.
2. Combine sugar, flour, salt.
3. If you bake in glass pie pan, you can check to see if bottom pastry is cooked. A little bit of flour mixture in the bottom of the pie shell helps prevent the pastry from absorbing too much juice.
4. Sprinkle mixture over berries, toss to mix well.
5. Turn berries into pie shell.
6. Put little dabs of butter around on top of berries, most around the edges (it will help stop it from boiling over)
7. Moisten edge of pie shell, and place pastry top over berries and shell (top should have a hole or cut in centre).
8. Crimp the edge of the two crusts together, and trim off the excess, if any.
9. Brush the top (not edges) with a bit of milk and sugar, or egg, so it will brown properly.
10. Bake in hot oven at 425 F, for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 F and continue baking additional 25-30 min.

Rhubarb Pie

3-4 cup cut rhubarb (1 1/2 lbs uncut)
1 cup white sugar
2-3 tbl flour
1/8 tsp salt
1 tbl butter
unbaked 9" pie shell and top
milk and sugar, or egg

1. Wash rhubarb throughly, trim off leaf and stem ends, cut into 3/4 inch lengths.
2. Combine sugar, flour, salt.
3. If you bake in glass pie pan, you can check to see if bottom pastry is cooked. A little bit of flour mixture in the bottom of the pie shell helps prevent the pastry from absorbing too much juice.
4. Sprinkle mixture over rhubarb, toss to mix well.
5. Turn rhubarb into pie shell.
6. Put little dabs of butter around on top of rhubarb, most around the edges (it will help stop it from boiling over)
7. Moisten edge of pie shell, and place pastry top over rhubarb and shell (top should have a hole or cut in centre).
8. Crimp the edge of the two crusts together, and trim off the excess, if any.
9. Brush the top (not edges) with a bit of milk and sugar, or egg, so it will brown properly.
10. Bake in hot oven at 425 F, for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 F and continue baking additional 30-35 min.

Apple Pie

7-8 medium-sized tart apples (mackintosh!)
1 tbl lemon juice
2/3-3/4 cup white sugar , depending on tartness of apples
1 tbl flour
unbaked 9" pie shell and top
cinnamon (and/or nutmeg)
1 tbl butter
milk and sugar, or egg

1. Peel, core and cut apples into 8 slices.
2. Drizzle lemon juice onto apples, and toss lightly to mix it up (keeps the apples from browning).
3. Combine sugar, flour.
4. If you bake in glass pie pan, you can check to see if bottom pastry is cooked. A little bit of flour mixture in the bottom of the pie shell helps prevent the pastry from absorbing too much juice.
5. Lay 1/3 of apples into pie shell (you can make it look nice!).
6. Sprinkle 1/3 of mixture over first layer of apples.
7. Repeat twice, filling in any spaces.
8. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
9. Put little dabs of butter around on top of rhubarb, most around the edges (it will help stop it from boiling over)
10. Moisten edge of pie shell, and place pastry top over apples and shell (top should have a hole or cut in centre).
11. Crimp the edge of the two crusts together, and trim off the excess, if any.
12. Brush the top (not edges) with a bit of milk and sugar, or egg, so it will brown properly.
13. Bake in hot oven at 425 F, for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 F and continue baking additional 30-35 min.

Peach Pie

2-2 1/2 lbs peaches
1 tbl lemon juice
1/8 tsp almond extract
2 tbl flour
3/4 cup white sugar
2 tbl butter
unbaked 9" pie shell and top
maybe cinnamon (and/or nutmeg)
milk and sugar, or egg

1. Peel, core and cut peaches into 8 slices.
2. Mix lemon juice and almond, and drizzle onto peaches, and toss lightly to mix it up (lemon keeps the peaches from browning, combined they can help peaches that aren't the best).
3. Combine sugar, flour.
4. If you bake in glass pie pan, you can check to see if bottom pastry is cooked. A little bit of flour mixture in the bottom of the pie shell helps prevent the pastry from absorbing too much juice.
5. Lay 1/3 of peaches into pie shell (you can make it look nice!).
6. Sprinkle 1/3 of mixture over first layer of peaches.
7. Repeat twice, filling in any spaces.
8. Sprinkle with cinnamon, if desired.
9. Put little dabs of butter around on top of rhubarb, most around the edges (it will help stop it from boiling over).
10. Moisten edge of pie shell, and place pastry top over rhubarb and shell (top should have a hole or cut in centre) - or, you could make the lattice strip top instead.
11. Crimp the edge of the two crusts together, and trim off the excess, if any.
12. Brush the top (not edges) with a bit of milk and sugar, or egg, so it will brown properly.
13. Bake in hot oven at 425 F, for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 F and continue baking additional 25-30 min, until peaches are soft.

Crumble Top for Apple, Rhubarb, Peach Pie (instead of pastry top)

1/2 cup flour
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup butter

1. Sift flour and cinnamon together thoroughly
2. Stir in sugar (make sure there are no lumps).
3. Cream butter until soft and smooth.
4. Work butter into mixture until well blended.
5. Put in pie filling as usual, except...
6. Because the crumble topping has butter and cinnamon, you won't need to top the fruit with either as in the standard recipes for the pies, and you won't need to worry about browning the top crust.
7. Sprinkle crumble over fruit in pie shell.
8. Bake as usual.

Fresh Strawberry Pie

1 quart strawberries
1 cup white sugar
water
1 tbl lemon juice
1/3 cup corn starch
1 tbl lemon juice
1-2 tsp butter
baked 8" pie shell and top
whipped cream

1. Wash and hull strawberries, cut out any imperfections (white parts, etc), and slice in two.
2. Add sugar to berries, mix, and let stand at least two hours.
3. Drain off juice, and add enough apple/grape/orange juice to strawberry juice to make 1 3/4 cup liquid.
4. Take 1/4 cup of juice, and blend with cornstarch into a paste.
5. Heat the rest of the juice in a pot.
6. As the juice starts to steam before boiling, add in the paste, stirring constantly (non-lazy people use a double boiler to thicken their juice).
7. Continue stirring (you're blending the thickening juice near the bottom with the less thickened juice above - it shouldn't stick), as the mixture starts to boil again.
8. It should boil for about 30-60 seconds. Don't let it boil furiously - keep turning down the heat to prevent that, while stirring. Gradually, it will become thick like a good sauce, and become clear red.
9. Remove from heat, and add lemon juice and butter, mix well.
10. Fold berries into mixture, and let cool to room temperature (don't put hot berries into pastry shell).
11. Pour berries and sauce into baked pie shell.
12. Top the pie with whipped cream, enough to cover to whole pie.