Crust really, really is not that hard at all. The biggest trick to keeping things flaky is temperature and avoiding over-mixing -- whatever fat you use should be cool, and it helps if you can chill your rolling pin, mixing bowls, etc., run some cool water over your hands before you start, to keep it from softening too much as you mix the pastry; it's also good to relax the mixed dough in the fridge for a while before rolling it. You want some of the fat to remain in tiny little solid chunks, as that's what provides the flakiness.
Other than that, well, Silpats are a godsend for rolling out dough without having it stick or tear; waxed paper can help too. But really, don't fret too much about perfection in rolling -- unless you're doing something with a top crust, any little tears can be stuck back together and covered up by the filling. :)
And you can always cheat and do a crumb crust instead! They're ridiculously easy, but can still be a lot of fun in experimenting with different cookie and cracker types to complement the fillings. Graham crackers and chocolate wafers are two of the most typically used bases, but Nilla wafers and gingersnaps can also make wonderful crusts, or Royal Creem crackers...mmmm.
I heartily recommend James McNair's Pie Cookbook (http://www.dianasdesserts.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/cookbooks.cb047/) -- I seem to be lacking the fear-of-pastry gene as pies were one of the first things I really learned to cook well as a child, but this book still taught me a lot of wonderful new tricks and encouraged me to experiment further with ingredients and techniques. It's beautifully illustrated, very informative and every recipe I've tried from it has been delicious. If you like pie and pretty cookbooks, you NEED a copy. :)
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Other than that, well, Silpats are a godsend for rolling out dough without having it stick or tear; waxed paper can help too. But really, don't fret too much about perfection in rolling -- unless you're doing something with a top crust, any little tears can be stuck back together and covered up by the filling. :)
And you can always cheat and do a crumb crust instead! They're ridiculously easy, but can still be a lot of fun in experimenting with different cookie and cracker types to complement the fillings. Graham crackers and chocolate wafers are two of the most typically used bases, but Nilla wafers and gingersnaps can also make wonderful crusts, or Royal Creem crackers...mmmm.
I heartily recommend James McNair's Pie Cookbook (http://www.dianasdesserts.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/cookbooks.cb047/) -- I seem to be lacking the fear-of-pastry gene as pies were one of the first things I really learned to cook well as a child, but this book still taught me a lot of wonderful new tricks and encouraged me to experiment further with ingredients and techniques. It's beautifully illustrated, very informative and every recipe I've tried from it has been delicious. If you like pie and pretty cookbooks, you NEED a copy. :)