Aunt Emma's Never Fail Pie Crust

3 c sifted flour
1 1/4 c Shortening
1 tsp salt
1 egg, well beaten
5 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp vinegar

Cut shortening into flour and salt.
Combine egg, water, and vinegar in a separate bowl.
Pour liquid into flour mixture all at once. Blend with spoon until flour is all moistened.
It can be re-rolled without toughening. Will keep in refrigerator for two weeks or divide into balls enough for one pie and wrap in Saran wrap and freeze indefinitely.

Makes 2 crusts

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Saint-Germain-des-Pres Onion Biscuits...


...and no I can't pronouce that French part either.  Dorie explains, on page 8 of Around My French Table, this is the name of the neighborhood in Paris where she lives part-time.  I have to think that if I came up with a recipe that was popular with my friends I might not be apt to name it after my surburban neighborhood.  But if I also had a second home in Paris, I just might!

No matter, these lovely little morsels are wonderful and worth the effort.

The list of ingredients is basic: unsalted butter, a small onion, flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and milk.  Dorie instructs us to melt some of the butter and cook the chopped onion until it softens.

Whisk the dry ingredients, and then rub the remaining butter in with your fingers. Scatter the cooked onion over the bowl and pour in the cold milk. Toss it all together with a fork.

Onions and milk added


Rolled flat

Turn the dough out on a floured surface and press it or roll it to 1/2 inch thickness.

Dip a 1 1/2 inch biscuit cutter into some flour and cut the biscuits as close together as possible. Gather and re-pat or roll the leftover dough. You should end up with about 32 small biscuits.



 The texture is light and flaky and the taste is sensational.  Big, fat YUMMO!

So what am I going to do now?

Long time, no blog. Not that I haven't been cooking along with the French Fridays with Dorie crowd, well, barely cooking.  Somehow lost my Dorie cooking mojo what with the failed onion soup, and then... I can't even remember now what happened.  Other things took priority: Took a vacation, had to clean house, oh I think I had to wash my hair too.

I'm workin' on gettin' it back, People!!

Okay so here I go.

Thank you for your patience.

XO