Monday, August 29, 2011

Favorite All-Shortening Crust

I'm a big believer in making your own crust. This is also something I struggle with when making pie because it never seems to turn out the way my mom makes it. I found this recipe on Our Best Bites and learned how incredibly easy pie crust can be! After I got the hang of it, I searched through my own recipe book to start an attempt at my mother's recipe... Turns out it's exactly the same :)

(Printable version)
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup and 2 Tbsp butter-flavor shortening
About 1/2 cup ice water
(This makes enough for a top and bottom crust. If you only need a bottom crust, cut the recipe in half.)

Mix together flour and salt.

Add shortening in small chunks. Use a pastry cutter to blend the shortening until pea-size shapes form.




Add water 1 Tbsp at a time. This part is important: do not stir. Using your hands, gently shift the dry mixture into the water so everything eventually becomes damp and sticks together. You are not mixing; you are just making sure water touches everything.


Eventually, you have dough. Separate into two discs, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Dough can last one day in fridge and longer in the freezer.



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