Pie Pastry (aka Crust - New Zealand Style)

I am so lucky to have an amazing family living next door to me from New Zealand.  They use to own a bakery on their tiny island, and so they know what they're doing.  They are always bringing over yummy treats for us to try out and occasionally I'm lucky enough to be taught some of their secrets. This, my friends, is a true New Zealand Style Pie Pastry recipe.  It's amazing! I like it so much better than normal pie crust! My husband, who is not a fan of pie crust, loved this! I truly understand why they call it a Pie Pastry, rather than a Pie crust.  It's got some "fluff" to it, it's not crispy, and it just tastes like a pastry! Ya'll, honestly, don't be scared to make this, it was my first attempt at making a homemade pie crust, and sooo easy! Let me know what you think! Have any of ya'll ever tried a New Zealand Pie Pastry before? B/c I had never before!

I made a banana cream pie, yum!

Shred your cold butter.

Mix together the butter, flour, sugar and 2 T water.

Add in 1 egg yolk.

Mix together while slowly adding up to 1/2 c total water.

Spread half the dough into your pie pan.

Fill the dough w/ uncooked beans and bake at 400 for 15 minutes. 

(Or this is the part where you'll leave the beans out and just fill w/ your pie fillings and bake according to your pie directions and disregard the rest of the directions.)

Take out of oven...

and empty out the beans (to be used again).

Place back in oven for another 5 minutes. Place on cooling rack.

Pie Pastry (aka Crust)

2 c Flour

1/2 c Sugar

10 T Cold Butter (1 1/4 sticks)

2 T - 1/2 c Water

1 Egg Yolk

Any Type of Uncooked Bean (I used Kidney)*

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Either shred or chop butter into tiny pieces and mix together with the flour, sugar and 2 T water until blended (it will be a little clumpy). Add 1 egg yolk and blend.  Gradually add more water (no more than 1/2 total) until well blended and smooth (play dough consistency, may be a little sticky). Take half of your dough and spread evenly and on sides of a well greased pie pan.  

Directions for a no bake filling pie:

Fill the pie crust full of dried beans, this will help the pastry from rising.  Place in oven for 15 minutes. Take out and empty out all the beans** and then bake for another 5 minutes.  Place on a cooling rack and then use whatever pie filling you wish. 

Directions for a baked pie:

Disregard the beans*, you will not use them. Place your desired ingredients in your pie crust and bake according to your pie directions.  Enjoy!

Yields two pie crusts or 1 pie crust and 1 pie top (This also freezes great for later uses).

**You may reuse these beans as many times as you wish, you can also still cook them normally later as well.

Recipe Source: From the Kitchen of Sydney Davies