Old Fashioned Pie Crust Makes 3 Crusts Recipes

RUTH'S GRANDMA'S PIE CRUST

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, combine all-purpose flour, shortening, sugar, and salt. Blend together with a pastry cutter until crumbly.
• In a small bowl, mix egg with water. Blend into flour mixture. Chill in refrigerator until ready to use.

OLD FASHIONED FLAKY PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Whisk flour with salt in a bowl; use a fork to stir in vegetable oil. Mix in water, 1 tablespoon at a time, before adding more water. Gather dough into a ball, divide in half, and roll out on a floured work surface.

OATMEAL PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Mix together all dry ingredients.
• Blend in shortening with pastry cutter of two forks until mixture resembles coarse meal; shortening should be coated with the flour mixture.
• Make a well in the middle of this mixture; add water until moistened.
• Mix with a fork.
• Dough will not be completely moist; some dry spots will be evident.
• Pull mixture together with your hands until it holds shape.
• Cover and chill 1 hour or overnight.
• Roll out as you would any pie crust.
• Cook according to your pie recipe.
• This makes a super crust for my Old Fashioned Apple Pie, and is the crust I specify in that recipe.
• Makes 1- 9 or 10 inch double pie crusts.

100 YEAR-OLD PIE CRUST (PASTRY DOUGH)

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl using a pastry cutter, mix flour, shortening, sugar and salt until crumbly.
• In a separate bowl, mix egg and water. Add to flour mixture using the pastry cutter.
• I have also used a food processor and a dough blade on pulse for each step.
• Cover tightly with plastic and chill until ready to roll out.

MOM'S LARD PIE CRUST

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in lard until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle in water, a tablespoon at a time, until pastry holds together. Shape into a ball; chill for 30 minutes. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Transfer to a 10-in. pie plate. Flute edges; fill and bake as pie recipe directs.

OLD-FASHIONED SHORTENING PIE DOUGH

Steps:

• Combine the flour, sugar (if using), and salt in a large bowl; refrigerate for 15 minutes.
• Add the shortening to the dry ingredients and toss it with your hands to coat, then break it up into smaller pieces. Using a pastry blender, cut the shortening into the dry ingredients until the pieces of fat are roughly the size of small peas and everything looks like it has been touched by the fat. There should be no dry, floury areas.
• Mound the ingredients in the center of the bowl. Drizzle about half of the water down the sides of the bowl, turning the bowl as you pour so the water doesn't end up in one spot. Using a large fork, lightly mix the dough, tossing it from the perimeter toward the center of the bowl. Drizzle most of the remaining water here and there over the dough and toss again.
• Mix the dough vigorously now. The dough should start to gather in large clumps, but if it is dry in places, stir in the rest of the water.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and pack it into a ball, then knead it several times to smooth it out. Put the dough on a sheet of plastic wrap and flatten it into a ¾-inch-thick disk. Wrap the disk and refrigerate for about 1 hour before rolling.