Homemade Pie crust its easy, really it is!

Sustenance Sunday

I wanted to try my hand at a homemade pie crust.  Was I crazy?  For some reason, I had always thought that it would be a lot of work.  You have to mix it, roll it just right (not too thick not too thin), and get it into the pie pan without it tearing or sticking to the counter.  I have tried several different pie crust recipes. I found that when you are baking a pie that cooks for and hour, crusts made with shortening cook better than the crusts made with butter.   The butter tends to burn. Below is a simple recipe for a pie crust that fits a  9" Pie Plate. This pie crust took me 10 minutes to make not counting refrigeration time.

Makes one 9 inch pie crust

1-1/3 cups All purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup vegetable shortening chilled
3-6 tbsp ice cold water
Blend flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Cut the chilled shortening into the flour and salt, using a pastry cutter until the shortening becomes the size of small peas.  Add the ice cold water a tbsp at a time, tossing with a fork until flour is moistened and pastry almost cleans the side of the bowl.  Add 1-2 tbsp additional water if necessary. Be careful not to over mix.  The dough should be slightly crumbly and lumpy.  Form dough into a flat round and wrap in plastic wrap, chill for 30 minutes or over night. On a floured surface, roll the dough out to about 1/4 inch thick and place it into the pie pan, careful not to stretch it.  Make sure the crust stays cold.  Put it in the refrigerator if necessary. I cover the pastry round with 2 sheets of plastic wrap as I am rolling it.  This keeps me from using too much flour.





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