Pie Crust

 This recipe is a great crust recipe, it is very flaky and easy to make. You can use all butter, shortening, lard or a combination of butter and shortening, depending on your needs and wants. Sugar can also be added depending on you wants. There are lots of *tricks for making pie crust and I will list some at the end. The best advice is to practice. This recipe is for a double-crust pie but, hey if you are not making a double-crust pie, use it for two single-crust pies. You can never have enough pie, at least not at our house!

2 ⅔ cups all- purpose flour plus extra for dusting

1 tsp salt

1 cup cold unsalted butter, shortening, lard or a combination of butter and shortening as long as it equals 1 cup ( I like ¾ shortening with ¼ butter. I have also had desperate times when I used margarine and it worked fine)

½ cup cold water

Makes one 9-inch pie

Sift together flour and salt, cut in butter (or whatever fat you are using) with pastry blender or 2 forks until mixture resembles small peas.

Drizzle water over flour mixture a tablespoon at a time. Using a table fork, blend the water with the flour mixture and continue adding water just until it holds together when you press together to make a ball. The dough should be evenly moist, Not Wet.

Turn dough out on a lightly flour surface. Make the dough into a ball, then divide the dough in to 2 equal pieces. Cover with plastic wrap and put in the frig for 20 minutes.

Leaving one ball of dough in the frig, take the other ball of dough out of the frig, unwrap and place on a lightly floured surface. If dough is too cold let it rest for 5 minutes. Lightly scatter top of dough with flour. Press dough with rolling pin to form an X and continue rolling out, making sure to roll from all directions, to about a 13 inch circle, about ⅛ inch thick for a 9 inch pie pan.

To move the dough to the pan, place rolling pin in center of the dough and fold dough over the rolling pin, gently lift and center dough over the pie pan, unfold the dough evenly in pan without stretching the dough. Press the dough to the bottom and sides of pan. Trim over hang to about 1to 2 inch overhang.

If making a single crusted pie trim dough to 1 inch overhang, tuck under overhang and then flute the edges, fill and bake as called for in recipe.

For double crusted pie, roll out the second ball of dough the same as the first except only rolling to a 11 to 12-inch circle, then cut vents in it using a knife or small cookie cutter. Fill bottom crust, gentle place top crust to pie using the same method as used for the bottom crust, making sure to center the crust over the pie. Trim edge to make it even with the bottom crust, tuck both top and bottom under and flute, then finish and bake according to recipe.

*Just a few Hints -

Cold is important when making a god crust. Any fat you are working with should be cold, even shortening or lard.

For good cold water, fill a cup with ice then add water, use the water for the crust, adding it to the crust 1 tablespoon at a time.

Use your hands to touch the dough as little as possible. Warm hands brake-down the fat in the crust.

To repair tear in the crust - A tear in the dough is pretty normal and rich dough is more likely to get a tear. Just use a little cold water, either using a pastry rush or your finger dab or brush cold water and moisten the area and gentle reconnect the break or add a small piece of dough and press it gently into place stretching as little as possible.

Buttercream Icing

I keep being asked for this recipe, so here it is for you. This is the icing recipe I use for almost all of my icing needs. My kids have great memories of leftover icing in gramcracker sandwiches. I made the cake above for my daughter, Kaira Fern's baby shower when she was pregnant with our grandson, Mack. This recipe makes about 6 cups.

1 1/2 C good quality vegetable shortening
1/2 C margarine
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla extract *
8 C sifted powdered sugar (2lbs)
4 Tbsp cold water**

Cream shortening and margarine. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time beating at medium speed and scraping bottom and sides often. When all the sugar is added it will look dry. Add water, 2 Tbsp at a time while still beating at medium speed and scraping after each addition until light and fluffy, add vanilla.

Store in an air tight container in the frig when not in use. This icing can be stored for 2 weeks in the frig. Remix before using again.

*for whiter icing use clear vanilla extract, found at specialty stores, also higher quality margarine are lighter in color.
** for thinner icing substitute some or all of the water for light corn syrup. Experiment a little with it till you know what you like. I like to add light corn syrup to the regular recipe to thin it down for writing on cakes.

Basic Bread

After my cookie recipe, this bread recipe is the second most common one I am asked for, so here it is. Once you get the basic recipe down the possibilities are endless. I use variations of this recipe for wheat bread, cinnamon rolls, baked apple fritters, deep fried scones, and the list goes on. Use your imagination, but don't give up after the first try it takes a little practice.

Important information I learned from the 3 women who taught me to make bread. Their memories live on every time I bake a loaf of bread -
Grandma Cope always said, "Good bread dough feels like a babies bum when you pat it". I learned from Grandma Farrer that, you need to learn the sound the dough makes when kneaded with a dough hook. There is a rhythm to it as it is being kneaded, if made right. From Sister Palmer, use water and oil to make bread except on special occasions.


In your mixer bowl, add in this order without stirring
2 Tbs of yeast
2 1/4 C really warm water (not hot)
2 Tbs sugar.
Let ingredients rest for 5 mins. Once the yeast has grown, while mixing slowly,add
3 C flour (whatever kind or combination of flour you want)
Next add
1/2 to 1 C sugar (or any kind of sweeter you want i.e. - brown sugar, honey, molasses)
1/4 C oil or melted butter
2 tsp salt
2 C flour.
If using a hand mixer, start to knead by hand.
Once all this is added in mix or hand knead until all is smooth.
Slowly add
1 to 2 C flour until dough is easy to handle. Do not add too much flour.
Knead for 8 to 10 min if using a dough hook with your mixer. If kneading by hand, knead for 10 mins. Dough should have the firmness of a babies bum.
Let dough rest covered in an oiled bowl for 1 to 2 hours or until doubled in size. Punch down dough and let rest for 10 more min. On a floured surface, shape dough into loafs or rolls and place on lightly greased baking sheets or loaf pans. If desired, you can also place on a baking sheet lightly dusted with corn meal. Let dough rise for 45 mins to 1 hour or until double in size.
Bake in a preheated oven at 350 for 25 to 30 mins, or until golden brown and sound hollow when you tap on the bottom of a loaf. Let loafs rest on cooling rack for at least 30 mins before slicing.
* this for Elder Porterfield -
I use vegetable oil to make the bread and to fry scones. Never fry in canola, it is too gummy after frying and messes up your pans

Cope's Chocolate Chip Cookies

I start the blog with this recipe because this is probable the first thing I learned to make and one of my family's favorite. When family or friends gather, chances are good this will be there. This is the mother of all good cookies!

Preheat oven to 375, lightly grease cookie sheet
In a large mixing bowl add
1 C MARGARINE or butter (only if you're out of margarine)
1 C shorting
1 1/2 C packed brown sugar
1 1/2 C granulated sugar
Mix until smooth and fluffy, but not too long, scraping the sides of the bowl.
Add 4 eggs, one at a time
2 Tb vanilla
Mix well, then add
5 C flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp salt
Mix well, scrape the sides of the bowl then fold in
2 to 3 cups of chocolate chips
drop by large Tablespoon onto lightly greased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.

A MUST - Cool cookies on an opened up brown paper bag. Not only is it recycling, but the brown paper bag absorbs the grease from the cookies, bringing the calorie count down, I'm sure. Most cookies are better when cooled on a brown paper bag. You will love it and the world will thank you!
Makes 4 to 9 dozen, depending on the size of the cookie.

You can exchange 3 cups of flour for 3 cups of oatmeal and 2 tsp of cinnamon and add raisins to the mix also. Whether you leave out the chocolate chips for the raisins is up to you.