Janet's Amazing Pie Crust
A.K.A. "Foolproof Pie Crust"
I got this recipe from another smart mom. I don't know which cookbook she got it from, but the editors must have named it for me!
I left you with a cliffhanger in the chicken pot pie recipe that I posted. It called for one of Janet's amazing pie crusts. Since none of you smart moms have been beating down my door for the mystery pie crust recipe, I assume that you have been buying the dough boy type that lives in the cold part of the grocery store next to the canned biscuits.
I am here to liberate you! I have ripped open MANY of those pie crust boxes. I never would have made any pies at all if it were not for those refrigerated crusts. Heck, I did not even need a rolling pin! Then I was inspired, as usual, by I-want-to-be-like-her-when-I-grow-up smart mom Sandy.
We all had an apple pie baking party one time. We crammed all of our apples, mixing bowls, pie pans and refrigerated crusts into Liz's little kitchen (Liz is not a mommy yet, but she will be a smart one someday). It was all fun and games until Sandy started making pie crust. We were in shock and awe. "Are you MAKING pie crust? Right now? Right here?" She assured us that it was really not that scandalous.
Smart mom Janet recently gave me her amazing pie crust recipe. It will liberate you because it makes 5 or 6 pie crusts that you can keep in your freezer! You will not have to run to the store with three screaming children to buy crust for that beautiful apple pie you have to make to use up the apples before they rot. You will save a ton of money. You probably already have all the ingredients in your cabinet and will not have to buy ANYTHING. More car wash/coffee money! Finally, there will be no weird preservatives in your pie crust. As smart mom Meredith's daughter says with wide, serious eyes, "Mommy does not want us to have a lot of pemikles." The best part: The pie crust tastes yummy!
Foolproof Pie Crust
4 cups all-purpose flour lightly spooned into measuring cup (don’t pack it in!)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups shortening (must be like Crisco; refrigerated shortenings or oils will not work)
Sift flour and sugar into a large bowl. (I dumped, because I do not have a sifter.) Cut in shortening until all crumbly.
In small bowl beat together:
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 large egg
Add liquid ingredients. Stir until all is moistened. Put out on floured board and divide into 5 portions. Shape each into a round, flat patty (like a hamburger) and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill at least 1/2 hour before using.
When you are ready to use crust, lightly flour both sides of the patty and roll out on lightly floured board (I use a silicone mat, but a clean countertop will do). Keep pastry round and roll out from the center to 1/8” thickness and 2” bigger than your inverted pie pan. To transfer the pastry to the pie pan, you can roll pastry up on the rolling pin and unroll over the pie pan. Press pastry into tin to remove air pockets. Fill, flute edge and bake and/or use top crust for 2-crust pie.
To make a baked pie shell: Prick bottom and sides of the pastry-lines pan with a fork (this helps crust hold its shape).
Naturally, I fudged the instructions a bit and mixed the dough in my stand mixer with the dough hook. You know how I love that mixer. My pastry might have turned out flakier if I had followed the instructions exactly, but I do not have time to fuss with such details. I like to throw everything in the mixer and walk away!
Mix up a batch of this pie crust and bake pies with reckless abandon. Enjoy your newfound freedom!
I got this recipe from another smart mom. I don't know which cookbook she got it from, but the editors must have named it for me!
I left you with a cliffhanger in the chicken pot pie recipe that I posted. It called for one of Janet's amazing pie crusts. Since none of you smart moms have been beating down my door for the mystery pie crust recipe, I assume that you have been buying the dough boy type that lives in the cold part of the grocery store next to the canned biscuits.
I am here to liberate you! I have ripped open MANY of those pie crust boxes. I never would have made any pies at all if it were not for those refrigerated crusts. Heck, I did not even need a rolling pin! Then I was inspired, as usual, by I-want-to-be-like-her-when-I-grow-up smart mom Sandy.
We all had an apple pie baking party one time. We crammed all of our apples, mixing bowls, pie pans and refrigerated crusts into Liz's little kitchen (Liz is not a mommy yet, but she will be a smart one someday). It was all fun and games until Sandy started making pie crust. We were in shock and awe. "Are you MAKING pie crust? Right now? Right here?" She assured us that it was really not that scandalous.
Smart mom Janet recently gave me her amazing pie crust recipe. It will liberate you because it makes 5 or 6 pie crusts that you can keep in your freezer! You will not have to run to the store with three screaming children to buy crust for that beautiful apple pie you have to make to use up the apples before they rot. You will save a ton of money. You probably already have all the ingredients in your cabinet and will not have to buy ANYTHING. More car wash/coffee money! Finally, there will be no weird preservatives in your pie crust. As smart mom Meredith's daughter says with wide, serious eyes, "Mommy does not want us to have a lot of pemikles." The best part: The pie crust tastes yummy!
Foolproof Pie Crust
4 cups all-purpose flour lightly spooned into measuring cup (don’t pack it in!)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups shortening (must be like Crisco; refrigerated shortenings or oils will not work)
Sift flour and sugar into a large bowl. (I dumped, because I do not have a sifter.) Cut in shortening until all crumbly.
In small bowl beat together:
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 large egg
Add liquid ingredients. Stir until all is moistened. Put out on floured board and divide into 5 portions. Shape each into a round, flat patty (like a hamburger) and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill at least 1/2 hour before using.
When you are ready to use crust, lightly flour both sides of the patty and roll out on lightly floured board (I use a silicone mat, but a clean countertop will do). Keep pastry round and roll out from the center to 1/8” thickness and 2” bigger than your inverted pie pan. To transfer the pastry to the pie pan, you can roll pastry up on the rolling pin and unroll over the pie pan. Press pastry into tin to remove air pockets. Fill, flute edge and bake and/or use top crust for 2-crust pie.
To make a baked pie shell: Prick bottom and sides of the pastry-lines pan with a fork (this helps crust hold its shape).
Naturally, I fudged the instructions a bit and mixed the dough in my stand mixer with the dough hook. You know how I love that mixer. My pastry might have turned out flakier if I had followed the instructions exactly, but I do not have time to fuss with such details. I like to throw everything in the mixer and walk away!
Mix up a batch of this pie crust and bake pies with reckless abandon. Enjoy your newfound freedom!
Comments
Thank you for keeping me from plagerizing. And the parson's wife, no doubt a smart mom, is the last person to whom I would want to deny credit!
I was a little freaked out by the egg in the recipe too, but fear not. It seemed to come out just fine.
Thank you for your honesty. I guess we all have pie skeletons in the closet.
;)