I love pie!

To say that I love pie is an understatement. Pie is amazing. My mouth is watering just thinking about pie.

Unless I am making it for a special occasion or a special someone, I usually try to make at least one pie every month or so. In the spring, my favorite is strawberry rhubarb. In the summer, when I can find organic peaches, I love peach blueberry pie. I love apple pie in the fall and apple cranberry pie in the winter (making this one this week). My recipe for the filling? Cut fruit, squeeze a lemon when needed, add some flour and sugar (my pies are never very sweet) and put a couple of pats of butter on top before sealing the crust.

Place these simple ingredients in the right crust and it is easy to make a delicious pie. The crust recipe I have modified (only slightly) is from Abby Mandel, who wrote the "Weekend Cook" column for the Chicago Tribune (I miss that column AND the recipes).

Double Pie Crust
2 sticks of unsalted butter, cut into Tablespoon size pieces
1 egg
3 Tablespoons cold water
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour (the original recipe calls for only all-purpose flour)

1. Place butter, egg, water and salt in food processor. Pulse on/off until butter is coarsely chopped. Spoon flour over butter; process until dough is crumbly but not yet in a ball (over-processing will toughen dough). Transfer crumbled dough to a large plastic food bag; kenad through the bag to compress the dough into a smooth ball. Cutt off 1/3 of the dough for the top crust; flatten into a disk. Flatten remaining dough into a disk for the bottom crust. Wrap disks in plastic wrap; refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 2 days. (Can also be frozen up to one month, thaw slowly in refrigerator...I have never tried this).

2. Let chilled dough rest at room temperature for 10 minutes before rolling. Roll bottom crust on floured surface into a circle, about 1/8 inch thick. Gently wrap around rolling pin and unroll into pie pan. Press dough in place without stretching. Prick crust closely with a fork. Trim edges to a 1 inch overhang.

3. Put in your favorite filling (see above for mine).

4. Roll out smaller pastry piece on floured board into a circle to cover pie. Wrap around rolling pin and unroll onto fruit. Trim edges if needed. Fold edges of crust under and press to seal together. Make a decorative edge. Cut decorative air vents. Place pie pan on baking sheet (to catch spills).

5. Bake 10 minutes in a preheated 450 degree oven, then decrease temperature to 350 degress for the remaining cook time (approx, 45-50 minutes, depending on how you like your crust). Cool at least 2 hours before serving.

Voila! Easy pie. Delicious. Amazing.