Viewing post #1196469 by tveguy3

Weedwhacker said:LOL -- I had pretty much the same experience using oil, Anna!

Here's my recipe for pie crust (this is for a double crust but can easily be halved for a single crust)

2 cups flour
1 cup shortening (I use half Crisco, half butter)
1/2 cup cold water (approximately)
1/2 teaspoon salt

(Notice how easy this is to remember -- half as much shortening as flour, and half as much water as shortening)

Mix the salt into the flour, then cut the shortening into the flour using a pastry blender, until the consistency is like coarse crumbs. Add the water, stirring with a fork until the dough comes together. Use slightly less or more to get a soft but not wet dough. Form into two disks - one slightly larger than the other - and wrap each in plastic wrap; let rest in the refrigerator for an hour or so, which gives the flour time to absorb the water (optional, but it really does seem to make the dough easier to work with). Roll out the larger disk for the bottom crust and gently fit into your pie plate without stretching it. Roll out the smaller disk for the top crust.

This is basically the same recipe I use. I also use half butter. (lard works best, but I try not to use that, I'm fat enough) I ad an 1/8 of sugar. This makes it brown nicely. I use the food processor pulsing, but like Anna said you have to be careful not to over do it. Really makes a fluffy crust.

The cherries are getting ripe on my trees, so it's going to be cherry pie soon. Then the apricots ripen, then the peaches, and last the apples and last the pumpkins. (Which I'll have to buy this year as I didn't raise any.) Rhubarb is done for the year. Oh how I love a good pie!