My dish finally came true.

Happy holidays, everyone! The photos are taken, the presents are unwrapped, and the first of us has left the nest to go back to her new home. The week has gone so quickly, and it's hard to believe I'm going back to my own new home tomorrow. Naturally, the past week's menu has included truly spectacular eats and pours (from my mom's amazing cooking and my dad's amazing wine collection), spoiling us with roast duck, butter-broiled sole, rosemary-garlic beef tenderloin, crunchy spring rolls, Shanghai-style nian gao (rice cakes), a special Chinese tradition (which you'll read about soon) called hot pot, and much more.

And of course the desserts. My mom's granite counters were in a perpetual state of being floured and buttered. To understand today's post, I'll first have to reveal something truly embarrassing: there's a fabulous pie store in D.C. called Dangerously Delicious Pies. Started by a rock and roll musician (as all the best quirky restaurants are now, right?), DDP's flagship store opened in Baltimore and now has a location right on H St. My friends and I often have grand plans for an epic bar crawl along H St. that more often than not turns into drinks at one or two bars and then quitting early for pie. You can't really blame us once you see the menu -- sweet pies, savory pies, fruit pies, creamy chocolate and peanut butter pies, beef pies, chicken pot pie...everything you could want is on rotation on the generous list.

But the shameful part isn't quitting early for dessert (in my opinion it's something to celebrate, really). Here's how our visit usually goes:

DANGEROUSLY DELICIOUS PIES COUNTER BOY/GIRL: Hi, how are you this evening?
BEV: Doing well, thanks.
DDP CB/G: What can I get for you?
B: A blind baked crust and a glass of whole milk, please.
DDP CB/G: Pardon me?
B: Just the crust of the pie.
DDB CB/G: You want to buy a crust to take home and make a pie?
B: No, I want to eat a baked crust here.
DDB CB/G: I'm sorry, we don't sell just crust.

(If I've had a gin and tonic or two, I'll cajole a little.)

B: But you have so many pies...I'm sure you have a crust you haven't filled yet...couldn't you sell me one of those? I'll pay for the whole pie!
DDB CB/G: I'm sorry, ma'am, we don't sell crust. (or if the person is really nice) You know, I love crust too. I'll mention it to the manager for the future. But right now, we don't sell just crust.
THOUGHTFUL FRIEND: Bev, you can have the crust from the slice of pie I'm getting!
B: * sigh * It's not the same.

Hi, I'm Bev, and I have a serious addiction to pie crust.

Therefore, when I baked a ginger-apple pie my mom wanted me to make over the holidays, and there was extra crust once it had been rolled out, I naturally egg-washed the leftover piece and baked it alongside the pie. When it came out, it was golden, flaky, buttery, and delicious. Homemade crackers were born.

My mom and sister liked it so much that they suggested making another batch of crust dedicated to the concept, sprinkled with various toppings such as cinnamon and sugar, parmesan and herbs, and pink sea salt and cracked pepper. We made another batch which was eaten in a day.

See? Maybe I'm not so crazy.

~


Secret Shame Pie Crust Crackers
(Based off Martha Stewart's recipe for pie crust)
Makes ~30 two-inch crackers

2 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 t salt
1 t granulated sugar
1 c cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/4-1/2 c ice water
1 egg + 1 T water


Toppings: (suggested proportions...play around!)
- Cinnamon-sugar crackers: 2 T sugar + 1 T cinnamon
- Parmesan-herb crackers: 1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese + 1 T dried thyme + 1 T dried rosemary + sea salt and pepper to taste
- Salt and pepper crackers: sprinkle each cracker with cracked pepper and salt


Cut butter into 1/2" cubes and refrigerate while you prepare the rest of the dough. Mix flour, salt, and sugar well. Add cold butter cubes and cut together with a pastry cutter until the mixture has pea-sized butter lumps among coarse breadcrumbs. Refrigerate for 10 minutes for best results.

After chilling the butter and flour mixture, drizzle ice water and stir with a wooden spoon gradually until dough comes together into a ball. It may look dry in some areas, but try to work it together (without overmixing) without adding too much water. Don't be afraid to knead a little, even though it's pie crust. (Though the less you handle the dough, the better.)

Roll out the dough and cut it into crackers (I like about a 2" fluted circle, but you could bake it all together and break the sheet into pieces for a more rustic look). Brush the dough with egg and sprinkle with toppings. Bake at 375ºF for 20 minutes or until golden brown.