Apple Cherry Pandowdy and Pie Crust Recipe

Pandowdy is a fun word to say - it is also very easy to make. I always try to keep some pie crust in the freezer so this becomes a quick dessert. Double crust pies have always intimidated me a bit because I always have a tricky time getting my top crust to look just right. With a pandowdy, there is no "perfect" about it - so no reason to be afraid.

Fill your pan - whatever shape or size you want with pie filling. I used 1 quart of home canned cherry pie filling and sliced in a few apples to cut down on the sweetness of the pie filling a little.

Then roll out your pie crust. (Mine is 1/2 white flour 1/2 whole wheat flour which is why it looks a little darker.) Cut your crust with a pizza cutter into small pieces about 1 1/2 inches square - remember there is nothing perfect about this. Lay them across the top in a haphazard pattern, covering most of the filling.

Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes - until the filling is bubbling and the crust is golden brown.

Enjoy warm with a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream - delicious!

Try some other flavor combinations. We like apples mixed with any kind of berry. We have also done apple, cherry, rhubarb. And when the garden is going crazy with zucchini, we use it in place of the apples - that is a recipe for another post another day. Enjoy!

Pie Crust
This crust recipe freezes very well. Double or triple the batch and freeze in individual crust sizes. It will keep for 6 months or more in the freezer.
2 cups all-purpose flour	1 cup shortening
½ tsp salt	Ice water
Cut the shortening into the flour and salt mixture with a fork until the pieces of shortening are between the size of quarters and nickels (no smaller.) Add ice water a tablespoon at a time. Toss the moistened area with a fork until it begins to pull together into a ball. Set it aside and add more ice water to the dry parts, tossing as you go. When all the dough is moistened, but not sticky, separate into two parts. Shape into disks about 4 inches across and wrap in plastic wrap. (You can freeze the dough at this point to use later. Thaw and roll out when it is still cold.) Refrigerate the dough for at least 10 minutes, but 2–3 hours is best. (The trick to a crispy crust is larger pieces of fat that are cold so they can create pockets of steam in the crust when it bakes.) Roll out between two pieces of plastic wrap to fit the pan. If baking empty, place a piece of foil over the crust and fill with a hand full of dry beans. This will keep bubbles from forming in the crust. Bake at 400° F for 8–10 minutes until lightly browned. If filling crust, use a precooked filling that is already thickened to speed up the baking process. Top with crust, cut a few vent holes, and bake at 400° F for 30–35 minutes or until golden brown. Check after 25 minutes and cover edges with foil if crust is browning too quickly.