Merlin asked me for my pie crust recipe, and since I was typing it out anyway, I thought I’d post it here. :)
This is a recipe for a 9″ double-crust pie.
2 c flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 to 2/3 c shortening
6 tbsp ice water
Sift the flour, then measure. Add salt & stir in mixing bowl. Add
shortening (use the smaller amount if using lard, use the larger amount if
using vegetable shortening like Crisco). Cut with fork or fingers (fingers
work better) into flour mixture until shortening has all reached the size of
grains of rice to peas. Add water, tossing with fork. The dough should
barely stick together without crumbling.
Make a ball of the dough and cut it into two slightly uneven pieces. Set
aside the larger for the top pie crust, and make a disc of the smaller.
Roll out to 1/4 inch thickness on a well-floured board. Do not overhandle
once the water has been added — that’s what makes pie crusts tough. Lift
crust into the pie pan (I use the rolling pin to roll it up) and allow to
settle for a few minutes, then add filling. Trim and crimp the edges if
you’re making a single-crust pie; if you’re making a double, roll out the
second crust and settle it over the top, allowing a few minutes for it to
settle, too. Then trim and crimp the edges.
A few general notes: if it’s very warm out, you can chill the dough for a
while to make it hold together better. If your hands are warm, run them
under cold water; it lets you handle the crust a little longer without it
toughening. And, when you’re done and you have scraps of pie crust left,
roll them out, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar, put ’em on a cookie sheet,
slice ’em up and bake them for 4-5 minutes. Voila! Pie crust cookies! :)