I Love Pie

Yesterday I received my Pampered Chef order at school (thank you Holly, Becky, Ellie and Kate!). So of course I had to run home and make a pie immediately. I ordered a pastry cutter, stoneware pie dish and a pastry mat just like my Grandma Koester used to have. I have vivid memories of making pies with her, and was happy to find out that I still remembered a lot of her tricks!
Did your grandma do this? We took the leftover pieces of pie crust, rolled them and cut them into shapes (I skipped that yesterday) and sprinkled cinnamon and sugar on top. Bake them until you smell them, and then you don't have to wait so long for something sweet.

I got the pie recipe from Betty Crocker's 1983 edition (sans lard). Ben requested a mixed berry pie, so I used frozen strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries. The dough came together perfectly in the food processor. It was SO FUN rolling it out on the mat. Jayne Stallons had suggested using Sophie's egg (the little chicken) for an egg wash, and it was the perfect size! I don't know if you can tell how tiny that egg is, but it was sure adorable!

Some more of Grandma Koester's tips:
- cover the edges with foil until the last 15 minutes of baking, so the edges don't burn.
- Use the thumb and pointer finger of your left hand and pointer finger of your right hand to create the scalloped edge.
- Make pie often.