Easy as pie

Nothing says "holiday" like showy pies -- glistening cranberries, silky chocolate, candied nuts and spiced apple promise. And nothing could be easier (honest) than making beautiful pies from scratch. Toss out those intimidating recipes and ignore nitpicky instructions. All you need is flour, butter, salt and water plus a little patience, and you'll be rolling the dough.

By Beth Dooley, Special to the Star Tribune

Last update: October 31, 2007 - 4:50 PM

Great pastry relies on one key ingredient, butter. (Margarine and shortening may make an acceptable crust, but never as flavorful, nor as flaky). Use good-tasting unsalted butter. (You control the salt levels by adding your own). Hope Creamery butter -- made in Hope, Minn., and sold at most upscale markets -- is the choice of Twin Cities pastry chefs for its extra-high butterfat content (85 percent vs. the standard 80 percent) as well as its taste (the slight tang says that it's nicely cultured). It's less pricey than premium brands such as Kerrygold, from Ireland, Plugra from France and domestic American Vermont Butter.

The trick for a flaky crust is to keep the butter cold while working it into the flour, and the quickest, most reliable way to do this is with a food processor. Just don't overprocess. You can also work butter and flour together with the tips of your fingers until it resembles small peas. (If the butter becomes too soft, chill it for a few minutes before you proceed). Finally, let the dough rest in the refrigerator before rolling it out. (This not only gives you a chance to clean up and prepare the filling, it makes handling the dough easier.) Refrigerated dough may be kept for several days or frozen for another time.

Here are three surefire crusts -- with five vibrant fillings -- to satisfy holiday hungers. The only hard part will be deciding which pie to make. They look great side by side, and their flavors work well together. Go on. Make them all.