My Moms Pie Crust Recipes

NO BUTTER PIE CRUST, MY MOM'S BEST

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Add the oil, all but the extra teaspoon, and lightly stir with a metal spoon until most of the flour is incorporated and pea-sized meal forms. There will be some larger clumps of dough too.
• Add the water 1 tablespoon at a time, incorporating after each addition. The dough should be soft and pliable, not cracking and dry. Add another teaspoon of oil to get there if needed, but do not add extra water. Divide the dough in half.
• Tear off two 15" sheets of waxed paper. Wipe the work surface with a sponge dampened with cold water to keep the paper from slipping. Place one sheet of waxed paper on the damp surface lengthwise in front of you, and place half of the dough in the center of the paper. Shape the dough into a flat disk and cover with the other sheet of paper lengthwise.
• Roll the dough, starting from the center of the disk and working your way out in every direction (think of working around the clock). The dough and paper do not turn; they stay fixed. As the rolling pin moves to the outer edges of the dough, be careful not to press to hard or else the dough will get too thin at the edges. Press more in the center, less at the edges, as you roll.
• Roll the dough 2 inches larger than the pie pan, making room for the dough to slide down into the pan and still cover the rim. The crosswise edges of the waxed paper can serve as a guide at 12 inches. Roll to that edge for a 10" crust, and just inside at 11 inches for a 9" crust. If the dough is rolled beyond the waxed paper, just scrape under it with a thin, sharp knife or spatula to loosen it before picking the crust up off the counter.
• Peel off the top piece of waxed paper and discard. Place the pie plate right next to the crust. Pick up the crust with its paper and invert it over the pie plate. Move the crust to arrange it evenly over the rim of the plate. Remove the waxed paper and discard. Gently lift the edges of the crust and ease the crust into the pan. Trim the crust all the way around the rim right up against the rim. If an area is short of the rim, patch it with trimmings.
• Fill the pie with filling (usually 5-6 cups of sugared fruit with some starch like flour or cornstarch or tapioca to hold it together), then roll the second half of the dough for the top crust just as you did the bottom crust, but roll this circle slightly smaller than the bottom crust (about an inch smaller). After the top crust has been arranged over the pie, trim the crust so that there is ½-1 inch overhang of the top crust beyond the rim. Tuck that overhang under the bottom crust all around the rim. This seals the pie and prevents drips.
• Crimp the edges of the pie in a rope design: place your thumb on the pastry rim at an angle and firmly pinch the dough between thumb and bent index finger. Push down into the rim as you pinch. Make the next pinch with thumb resting against the last pinched edge.
• Cut vents decoratively in the top. Rub or brush the entire top of the pie with milk. Cover the edges of the pie with a pie guard or pieces of foil, crunching it well so it stays in place. The foil is not a perfect science; just get it to cover as much of the edge as possible.
• Bake as directed depending on your pie filling. A general rule is 425 degrees for 50 minutes or so, until a fruit filling is bubbling vigorously and the crust is golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool; the filling will firm up some as the pie cools, so it's always best to bake your pies early in the day on the day they will be served.. Serve lukewarm or at room temperature. The pie will keep on the kitchen counter for a couple of days, loosely covered with waxed paper or foil.

MOM'S PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Combine flour and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer. Cut butter into tablespoon pieces; add it to the flour and butter. Use the paddle beater to cut the butter and flour together. Alternatively, this can be done by hand with a pastry blender.
• With the mixer on low speed , or while stirring the mixture with a fork, pour in the cold water. When the dough starts to clump, and before it turns into a ball, stop stirring.
• Lightly knead dough in the bowl until it forms a ball. Divide dough into two parts. Flatten each part into a disk, and chill for about 30 minutes before rolling.

MY MOM'S PIE CRUST

Steps:

• 1. Combine salt, flour and Crisco solid shortening use a pastry cutter to mix
• 2. Add cold water and stir. Easy to work the dough but remember not to handle too much or crust will be tough, not flaky.
• 3. divide into 3 equal portions, roll out, and put in pie pan DO NOT POKE CRUST
• 4. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. If filled pie bake according to recipe. For example an apple pie uses 2 crusts. Bake for 15 min at 425 and reduce heat to 350 and bake for 30 min

MY MOM'S FLAKY PIE CRUST

Steps:

• 1. Pour 2 cups flour into a mixing bowl. Add sugar and salt and stir. Add 1 cup shortening. With pastry cutter, cut in the shortening until the mixture resembles sand.
• 2. Add 1/4 cup of milk at first. Sometimes you will use the full 1/2 cup of milk and sometimes not depending on time of year and humidity, etc. With a large fork (I like to use a large serving fork for example) stir until it "comes together" and STOP! Over mixing is what causes a tough dough. With floured hands, form a dough ball then flatten a bit into a "disc". Wrap in plastic wrap and set in fridge for about 20-30 minutes to rest and allow the dough to relax, making it easier to roll.
• 3. During the last 10 minutes of resting, pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. When ready, on a well floured surface (you can use less flour if you have one of those pastry discs with a pastry cover on it) roll dough out to whatever shape you need it for the pan or pie plate you are using. "Dock" the crust (poke holes in it with a fork, toothpick or other utensil to make small steam release holes) before baking, usually bakes for about 25 minutes if you are using for a no-bake pie filling to add in afterwards. For crusts that bake with the filling, follow your recipe's instructions.
• 4. This recipe makes enough dough for a double crust pie but I love crust so much that I sometimes use 3/4 of the dough for a thicker crust then roll out the remaining dough, cut into strips and sprinkle with cinnamon & sugar and bake, making YUMMY treats!
• 5. Why not butter? Butter gives good flavor but makes crust hard/crunchy not light & flaky. Shortening really is the key. I've known people to combine both like: 3/4 shortening to 1/4 butter but I stick with mom's success! I suppose butter flavor shortening would work.

MY MOM'S PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Sift together flour and salt. Cut shortening into flour with a pastry cutter until it has the texture of coarse crumbs. Combine egg, water, and vinegar (start with 3 tablespoons of water, and add the rest only if you need it to make the dough hold together). Pour into flour mixture all at once. Blend with a spoon just until flour is all moistened. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
• Gather into a ball and roll out on waxed paper. To place in pie plate, lift waxed paper and peel off when crust is in place. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before baking.
• To pre-bake, prick shell at 1/2-inch intervals before refrigerating. Press a doubled 12-inch square of aluminum foil into pie shell. Adjust oven rack to lowest position, heat oven to 400 degrees. Weight crust with pie weights. Bake, until crust is firmly set, about 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees, remove weights and foil, and continue to bake until crust is crisp and rich brown in color, about 8-10 minutes longer.
• Makes one double (top and bottom) crust or two single (bottom) crusts.
• Some of the secrets to light, flaky, tender pie crusts are: 1) Have the ingredients cool or chilled when you start; chill the dough when you aren't working with it (before you roll it out, after it's in the pie plate and before baking). 2) Handle the dough as little as possible; avoid over-blending or re-rolling it. You want to have unblended bits of shortening in the mixture, to create the flakey texture.

MY MOM'S PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Combine flour and salt.
• Cut shortening into flour mixture.
• In small bowl, stir together egg, vinegar, and ice water.
• Combine egg and flour mixtures, a little at a time.
• When dough forms, separate into two balls.
• Wrap balls in wax paper or plastic wrap.
• Chill for 1 hour.
• Roll out on floured pastry cloth.
• Turn onto lightly-greased pie plate.
• Trim to a 1-inch overhang.
• Flute edges.