Piecrust is delicious when enjoyed with pie filling of many different varieties, but despite the name, piecrust dough is great for more than just pie. The flaky dough can be used to make a number of fast and incredibly easy desserts. When looking for sweet and easy desserts with piecrust as a base, try the following tasty ideas. Use extra dough trimmed away from homemade pies and desserts before they are baked in the oven, or make a batch of piecrust especially for these easy desserts. The crust really is the best part of the pie!
Begin with a Good Crust Recipe
To make tasty desserts using piecrust dough, it is essential to begin with a good recipe. To make easy piecrust dough that turns out flaky, golden brown, and delicious you will need one cup of all-purpose white flour, one-third plus one tablespoon of all-vegetable shortening, one-half teaspoon of salt, and between two and three tablespoons of ice-cold water. This easy recipe would typically make enough dough for a nine-inch single-crust pie, and it is more than enough to make easy desserts with piecrust dough.
Begin by cutting the shortening into the flour and salt using a fork or a pastry blender. The flour, salt, and shortening mixture should resemble crumbs the size of little peas. Gradually add the ice water one tablespoon at a time, and as the water is blended in, move the moistened piecrust dough over to one side of the bowl. Continue this process using two to three tablespoons of ice water. The piecrust dough should not stick to sides of the bowl, but it should not be dry and crumbly.
Next, gently gather the moistened pastry into a ball, and try not to handle it any more than necessary. Over-handling raw piecrust dough will make the finished product tough and far less flaky. Remove the ball of piecrust dough from the bowl, and place it on a lightly floured surface using floured hands. Gently press the ball into a flattened circle about two inches thick.
Lastly, use a lightly floured or cloth-covered rolling pin to roll the piecrust dough to the necessary thickness for making the following easy desserts. Try to make the piecrust dough as even as possible without over-rolling it or creating thin spots and holes.
Colorful Piecrust Leaves
Piecrust leaves made from piecrust dough are delicious and very easy to make. After rolling out the piecrust dough to a thickness of about one-eighth of an inch, cut out leaves of various shapes using cookie cutters. Place the leaves on a baking sheet that has not been greased, and add color and flavor to the leaves with a cinnamon and sugar mixture as well as nonpareils and sugar crystals with natural hues. Piecrust leaves can be decorated for spring, summer, or fall, and they are a fantastic way to enjoy flaky piecrust without the usual fillings. They are especially impressive when paired with flower-shaped cookies for spring or when displayed on fall platters filled with other easy desserts.
Easy Mini Fruit Pie Desserts
The same piecrust dough used to make edible leaves can be used to make mini fruit pie desserts. They are very easy to make, and they taste just as good as or better than full-size slices of pie. Best of all they can be enjoyed on the go and packed in brownbag lunches. Kids and adults love them!
Begin by rolling the piecrust to a thickness typical of a regular pie, and cut out circles approximately four to five inches across using a cookie cutter or a large drinking glass. Place a heaping tablespoon of real fruit jam in the center of each circle, and carefully fold it over. Secure the edges using the tines of a fork, and make sure the sides are completely sealed. Use a toothpick or skewer to make a few steam holes in the top, and bake the mini fruit pie desserts at 475 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately ten minutes or until they are golden brown.
Cool the mini fruit pie desserts on wire racks, and drizzle on a thick mixture of powdered sugar and water. Store the fruit-filled desserts in the refrigerator until they are ready to serve and enjoy. Consider serving these easy pleasers with glasses of ice cold milk or cups of rich hot coffee. These easy and highly delectable desserts are the ideal size for snacking, and they are a fantastic way to use extra piecrust dough.
