Basic Pie Crust

It’s not that I’m completely oblivious to the passage of time. It’s just that I can’t do anything to stop it so I’m having a hard time keeping up. Argh! It’s the middle of November. Thanksgiving is next week and I haven’t written a single list of what needs to be done and what needs to be purchased. So why not get started right now? Lets see… I’m in charge of the rolls, the jell-o mold (I’m Mormon remember)….what else? Drat! I’m forgetting stuff. I knew I should have started this list sooner. OH! The turkey. Good thing I remembered that one. Maybe I’ll throw a pie into the mix.…if I feel like it. But just in case I don’t I’m posting the recipe so you can.

We'll start with the crust because...I'm not makin' a crustless pie.

 

In my experience, the less you know about pie crusts, the better your pie crusts will be. When I started making crusts all I had to go on was a memory of watching my mom make the crust while I waited to eat the apple skins and the left over pie dough cookies –not so useful. (Basically I was on my own.) For my first few pies, I had to just follow the recipe. After I got the hang of it I tried refining my skill…that’s when things got screwy. Instead of giving you something that isn’t great I thought I’d go back to the basics and remember that while it’s nice to learn new things, sometimes its good to just leave well enough alone. (Yes, you did just hear me say that. You can now pick your jaw up off the floor.)

For real. Just follow this recipe as best you can interpret and DON’T knead the dough.  Do that and you will have a perfectly flakey pie crust for your Thanksgiving pie. Anyway, that’s what I did when I learned and that method worked for me…except for when it failed: once when I tried it in a food processor and once when I kneaded the dough. (Do NOT knead the dough.)

Basic Pie Crust

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Yield: 1 pie crust

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups flour

¼ teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons shortening

5-8 Tablespoons ice cold water

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl stir together flour and salt. Using pastry blender or two knives, cut in 6 tablespoons shortening until pieces are pea-size.

2. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon ice water over part of the flour mixture then gently toss with a fork. Push moistened dough to side of bowl. Repeat, using 1 tablespoon of water at a time until all the flour is moistened. (Usually this takes no more than 6 tablespoons.)

3. Form flour into a ball (without kneading).

4. On lightly floured surface, flatten dough. Roll pastry from center to edge into 13-inch circle.

5. Transfer pastry to a 9 1/2-10" deep-dish pie plate with a ¼ - ½-inch rim. (if my crust is stuck to the rolling surface I run my frosting spreader between the surface and the crust to loosen it. 

6. Trim crust edge 1/2-inch beyond pie plate. Tuck the ragged or trimmed edge of the crust under itself.

 7. Flute the edge high.

Notes: If you need your pie shell cooked before you fill it preheat your oven to 450 degrees F. Poke lots of holes into the crust with a fork to release steam, Line pastry with double thickness of foil. Bake 8 minutes. Remove foil; bake 6 minutes more or until golden. Cool on wire rack.

Source: Better Homes and Garden Magazine, November 2008

Gwenevere