Afraid Of Pie Crust? You Shouldn't Be. It's As Easy As 3-2-1

Meat Week's almost over. It's time for Pie Week! Here's a preview: If you are scared of pie crust, we've got tips from the CIA that boil it down to a basic 3:2:1 ratio.

Yes, it's been meat all week. So are you ready for dessert? As a preview of Pie Week on Morning Edition and The Salt next week, we bring you this sneak peak of what we learned at the Culinary Institute of America.

Now, lots of people are afraid of making pie crust, but we've got a fool-proof formula for you.

At the CIA, Professor of Baking and Pastry Arts George Higgins explains, it starts with 3:2:1. That's three parts flour, two parts fat, and one part liquid. The slideshow above spells it all out.

Once you make the crust above, blend 1 Tablespoon of Minute Instant Tapioca with 8 ounces of granulated sugar and toss with 1.5 pounds of blueberries or cherries. Fill the pie and bake. Higgins credits his wife with this recipe.

For more on pie crust, listen to our story on Morning Edition Monday, where you'll hear Chef Higgins helps us overcome some basic beginners' mistakes. Later in the week, we'll have pieces on pie history, pies made during lean times, Linda Wertheimer's chess pie recipe, and more.

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