The Proof is in the Pie

It’s time for a homemade margarine update. And this time around, it’s all about pie crust. The crust recipe I like and have used for years uses a mix of Crisco and butter (or margarine for us). The Crisco makes the crust tender and flaky while the butter adds great flavor. So, while I know I can make a perfectly serviceable and completely Matthew friendly pie crust with just Crisco, I’m much happier if I can stick with my longtime favorite. With that in mind, let me tell you how it worked out.

The short answer is it worked great!

Now here’s the long answer for those who are super into the minutia of baking. After an overnight chill, I usually have to let the unrolled pastry sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes until it is soft enough to roll without cracking. Using the homemade margarine resulted in a softer dough which meant no waiting. It was ready to roll right out of the fridge. I felt like I needed to move as quickly as possible so it didn’t get too soft, but it didn’t get too sticky or overly difficult to work with in the time it took me to roll it, fill the pie plate, and shape the edge. I chose a pie that uses a fully baked crust so I could assess the results at all stages, so the next step was popping it into the oven for a nice long blind bake. Due to it being softer than anticipated, initially I was worried that it wouldn’t hold its shape in the oven. But there was no need to fret. It held its shape nicely and turned a nice golden color just like I’m accustomed to. Once cooled, filled, and chilled overnight, it retained its integrity and remained nice and crisp. The end result was delicious. I’m sure that was due in part to the fantastic strawberries and cream filling it contained, but still, it was a good crust! It had a decent flake and a nice flavor. It wasn’t quite as tender as I’m accustomed to, but I was so worried about it not being baked long enough to hold its shape that I may have left it in the oven a bit longer than necessary. I’ll see if a slightly shorter bake time improves the tenderness aspect next time around. Because there will be a next time around. This margarine is going to be a very usable option in this capacity.

So, success! I’m so very glad! And I’m hopeful that this homemade concoction will continue to perform well in my other cooking and baking endeavors. I am a bit skeptical about how frosting will hold up at room temperature since the pie crust was softer than that made with a store-bought margarine, but we will just have to wait and see how that experiment goes. In the meantime, I’m going to enjoy my slice of pie. 😉