Part II: Pie Crust

I like to roll out the dough on a large plastic board. This helps me not to get the beautiful lines that the tile leaves on the dough, and it cleans up quickly.

Keep a little pile of flour off to the side so you can get to it easily while you are rolling out the dough.

Turn your dough and add flour as you go so your dough doesn't stick to the board. With mine being a little wet the extra flour was a must.

Roll until you have about 2 or 3 inches to spare around the pie plate when you hold it up to it.

Fold the dough in half. With enough flour it will not stick to itself.

Then in half again to get quarters.

Place it in the pie plate and unfold. It is so much easier to transport this way.

Remember when doing a top crust, cut slits in it before you place it on top of the pie. It is easiest when the dough is folded into quarters. It's like making paper snowflakes! ;)

Play with it a little and make sure it fits into the pan without stretching anywhere.

Cut around the edge so you have about 1/2 an inch of extra.

This part is a lot easier if you do it before you put in the filling. I forget why I did it this way but I thought I had a good reason. After I ended up with a bunch of cherry pie filling on my fingers I realized it wasn't a good enough one.

Anyway, fold the pie crust under itself and you get a great thick edge to make beautiful designs.

I usually pinch mine and that is what I did with this one. I also used a cookie cutter to cut out the hearts.

Put a little milk on the hearts to keep them from burning. I like to sprinkle them with a little sugar after, but it's up to you.

Here is the finished pie cooked at 375 for 10 minutes and reduced to 325 for about 40 minutes.

I don't always go by the time. I go more by smell when I cook. It is really hard to explain how to do that so I say go by the time and look.

For left over crust: Roll it out and place it in a pan or on a cookie sheet and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. It is wonderful.