Pie Crust

In response to a request from a cousin and a Facebook acquaintance, here's a perfectly lovely recipe for pie crust. I use it all the time. The key to successful pie crust is to treat it tenderly, barely mix with a fork and use plenty of flour when rolling it out. Make sure the water is ice cold.

Place a handful of ice cubes in a two cup measuring cup with water. Let sit while mixing crust.

Place 1 cup all purpose flour in a bowl and 1 teaspoon salt. Cut in (either with a pastry cutter or two forks) 1/3 cup Crisco. (Some people get this cold too)

Sprinkle in a little less than 1 tablespoon white vinegar. Begin sprinkling in water one or two tablespoons at a time, gently stirring dough with fork. When mixture comes together into one ball, stop sprinkling water. Richly flour your hands and pat the ball together.

Place on flour-covered mat or countertop. Flour the rolling pin and then roll gently back and forth and then from side to side. Don't roll in a bunch of directions. Usually when it's about half-rolled out I flip it, again lightly flouring underneath it. When it's rolled to the size you need, roll it on to your rolling pin and transfer to the pie dish. Press to bottom of pie dish and then to sides, fluting as you wish.

If you want to make a lattice or double crust, just double this recipe. Works just fine.

For a cream pie, prick the bottom a few times before you bake it so it doesn't pop up while baking. 350 degree oven till lightly golden brown.

For a fruit pie, cut slits in the top crust.

We often sprinkle sugar and spice on pieces of leftover pie dough and bake with the crust. However, for fruit pies, I like to cut out shapes that look like the fruit and place them on the pie. Sometimes you can brush them with food coloring or edible markers to "paint them." Or sprinkle colored sugar. Sprinkle regular white sugar across the top of a fruit pie crust.

Good luck.