Making the ideal pate brisee, that classic melt-in-your-mouth pie crust, is a matter of temperature and technique. The name comes from the French “pate,” for “dough” or “pastry,” and “brisee,” for “broken,” referring to the fact that butter, shortening or lard is cut or “broken up” into the dry ingredients in small pieces.

The secret to a tender, flaky crust is to work quickly, and to keep ingredients and utensils as cold as possible. Handle the dough as little as possible to prevent an abundance of gluten, which forms as the dough is worked. Gluten is needed to hold the dough together, but a little bit goes a long way – too much, and the pie crust toughens. Fats also prevent the formation of gluten, which is why it’s important to work butter into the flour mixture until evenly distributed.

To do this, use a food processor, two knives or a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse meal, and then add in the ice-cold water to bring it all together into a ball. With cold butter, the crust will be especially flaky; as the cool fat warms in the oven, steam escapes, causing the dough to expand and form tiny air pockets that create layers.

When using cold butter, cut it into quarter-to-half-inch pieces – don’t make them too large or they will leave holes in the crust. Keeping utensils, bowls and other ingredients (even the flour) cold is also important if you’re aiming for a flaky crust. And if the dough begins to stick to the work surface when you’re rolling it out, place it in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

Makes enough for two 9-inch single-crust pies or one 9-inch double-crust pie

This dough can be refrigerated up to one week or frozen up to 1 month, wrapped well in plastic. If using frozen dough, let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator before rolling out into a crust.

21/2cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface

1teaspoon salt

1teaspoon sugar

1cup (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

Place the flour, salt and sugar in a food processor and pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter and blend until the mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 seconds. With the machine running, add ice water a little at a time through the feed tube, mixing just until the dough holds together, no longer than 30 seconds.

Turn out dough onto a clean work surface. Divide the dough in half, and place each ball on a sheet of plastic wrap. Flatten to form two disks. Wrap well, and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

How you treat the dough after refrigeration will vary according to the pie filling you choose. Continue by following the recipe for your particular pie or tart.

Pine needles make an excellent organic winter mulch. Thanks to their curved shape, they “breathe” well, so they don’t trap excessive moisture, which can lead to mold and disease. They are also easy to clean out of the garden when spring arrives – an important quality, since too much mulch can smother new growth.

During winter months, the primary goal of mulching is to protect young plants from heaving (the repeated freezing and thawing of the soil) a process that can leave delicate roots exposed. The mulch’s insulating barrier keeps the ground at a steady, cold temperature throughout the season.

To mulch correctly, wait until after the first frost, then apply a layer about 2 inches thick around young plants. Don’t mulch too early, or too heavily, as this can encourage small rodents to nest in your garden.

You may be able to gather plenty of pine needles from beneath the trees on your property; if not, most garden centers sell pine needle mulch. You can even use the boughs of your Christmas tree for the same purpose: Once the holiday has passed, take the old tree outside, and cut off its branches, laying them over garden beds in a crisscrossing fashion.

Pine needles are slow to decompose, and they won’t significantly change the acidity in your soil when using pine mulch, especially if you remove it in the spring. If you are concerned, however, you can limit its use to areas around plants that prefer acidic soil, such as young conifers, rhododendrons and blueberries, and use bark, straw or shredded leaves in other places.

Questions should be addressed to Ask Martha, care of Letters Department, Martha Stewart Living, 11 W. 42nd St., New York, NY 10036. E-mail to mslletters@marthastewart.com.

2006 Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc.