We recently had the opportunity to attend one of King Arthur Flour's traveling baking demos. It was fabulous! They showed us how to make the perfect pie crust and offered many wonderful baking ideas and tips. Besides being a fun girls day out with friends, we really learned a lot.



One of my favorite ideas was using little cookie cutters to cut shapes out of pie crust to add a little decoration to your pies. You can line the edge of your crust with cut-outs or do the whole top crust as a blanket of cut-outs. What a festive touch!



Take a peak at our festive pumpkin pie...



Here is the wonderful recipe for pie crust from King Arthur Flour.

Basic Pie Crust
makes one 9-inch double pie crust
2 1/2 or 3 cups all purpose flour, pastry flour or combination of both
1 tsp. salt
1 cup butter
1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

Mix dry ingredients together with whisk. Cut in half of the butter, combining thoroughly. Cut or pinch the remaining butter into small bits. Toss these bits of butter into the mixture you already combined, mixing just enough to coat with flour. You want these pieces in larger bits. Add the water a tablespoon at a time and toss with a fork to moisten the dough evenly. To test for the right amount of liquid, use your hands to squeeze a chunk of it together. If it sticks together easily, it is moist enough. If it falls apart, add a bit more water. Divide the dough in half and wrap both halves in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Roll out dough onto lightly floured surface and use a spatula to help you transfer the crust to pie plate. Follow further directions for baking based on what recipe of pie you are making.

*TIP-One great tip we learned at the demo was to use a spray bottle on the dough. If you just need to add a little bit of water as you roll it out or form dough, you can lightly spray all over without getting it too moist in only one section.

We tried out another delicious from the demo and it was delicious!
The Easiest 100% Whole Wheat Bread Ever
1 1/4 cups lukewarm water
1/4 cup orange juice
3 Tablespoons molasses
3 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup nonfat dry milk
1 1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. instant yeast

Grease an 8 1/2 inch by 4 1/2 inch loaf pan. Combine all ingredients into a large bowl. Beat vigorously for about 3 minutes. An electric mixer on medium-high speed works well here. Scoop the batter into the prepared pan. Cover the pan with lightly greased plastic wrap and let the dough rise for 1 hr. It won't fill the pan. It also won't dome as it rises, but will remain flat across the top. While the batter is rising, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Uncover and bake for about 45 minutes, tenting it with foil after about 20 minutes. The bread is done when it is golden brown on top and an instant read thermometer inserted in center registers 190 degrees F. Remove from oven. After 5 minutes use a knife to loosen edges then turn out onto a rack. Brush with melted butter if desired. This will keep the crust soft. Cool for 30 minutes before slicing.



We hope these recipes can be a great addition to your holiday meal! Happy Thanksgiving!

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