Pie is one of my favorite desserts. But it has to have a good crust. And outstanding crust, actually. You can thank my mom for making me such a pie snob. She made the best pies! I guess everyone likes their mom's food best. But really, I think my mom had a special touch when it came to pies.
By the way, my mother was Amish, in case you didn't know. Which probably explains why she was such a good cook.
When I was a kid she used to make pies nearly every Saturday. For Sunday lunch, presumably. But the sweet reality was that we often had a slice of pumpkin pie for Sunday breakfast. (Shhh! Don't tell anyone! 😀 ) It wasn't just at holidays, either.
I spent Thanksgiving with my sister this year, and she made some pies for their Thanksgiving church supper, so I took the chance to photograph a recipe with someone else doing the cooking. It is challenging, for instance, to take pictures of yourself rolling out dough. Haha!
It was fun watching her. She can whip up pies faster than anyone I know. Except maybe my mom, back in the day. I mean, my sister made probably 6-7 pies in less than an hour.
Put the shortening, butter, salt, and flour into a large bowl. Mix well. She used a mixing bowl and her hands, but I use a pastry blender (or sometimes my stand mixer with the paddle attachment).
Put an egg and the vinegar into a cup measure. Beat the egg a little with a fork.
Then fill the cup with water. For some reason - that I have yet to figure out - it foams up when you add water to egg. Weird.
Pour the water/egg mix into the flour mix, and gently mix.
The dough will seem too wet for a bit while mixing in the egg/water. In fact, it will seem like the water isn't going to all get mixed in, but just mix more! If you added the full amount of shortening, it won't hurt it to mix it. Rest assured - you want it a bit sticky. It makes better pie crust.
When the water is all mixed in, the dough will still be quite sticky, but that's OK. You will need to use a generous amount of flour while rolling it out, to keep it from sticking. If you don't use it all immediately, just put it in a plastic bag or tightly sealed dish to keep it from drying out. It keeps in the fridge for up to a week just fine. Just remember to let it come to room temperature before rolling it out.
Note: I use real, old-fashioned lard for my pie crusts. You can find it in Walmart in 1-lb chunks, which is really handy for this recipe. It makes wonderfully flaky crusts. But you can use vegetable shortening, butter, or any solid shortening, really. Different kinds produce different results, so be aware.
2019 UPDATE: Several years ago I started using 1/2 butter and 1/2 lard in my crust recipe. I love the buttery flavor!
For more tips on making pies, read this post: 4 tips for the perfect pie.
Easy, Flaky Pie Crust
Ingredients
- 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups shortening (or 1 pound)
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 egg beaten well
- 1 Tablespoon vinegar
- 1 cup water or more, up to 2 cups
Instructions
- Mix flour, salt, and shortening well.
- Put egg in measuring cup, beat with fork - add vinegar and fill with water.
- Add egg mixture to flour mixture.
- Mix till water mixture is completely incorporated.
- Dough will be sticky.
- Roll out, using generous amounts of flour to keep from sticking to counter.
- Store extra in plastic bag or tightly sealed bowl.
- Makes 2 double crusted pies, or 5 single crusts.
- Can freeze unbaked pie shells.
Notes
Nutrition
Linking up at:
http://www.livingwellspendingless.com/2013/12/12/thrifty-thursday-week-39/
http://www.greenwillowpond.com/2013/12/what-we-accomplished-wednesday-35.html
That is a beautiful pie! And you are the first person I ever came across who also insists on egg and vinegar in their pie crusts. I agree, it makes the very best, most flaky pies. (My mom's recipe is pretty much like your mom's recipe.) If the crust isn't good, I don't want pie.
Hooray Kay! I'm excited to try your crust out. We have a very similar recipe in our family, but I do love trying other ones out. Would love to hear some of your favourite pie recipes too. What did you sis whip up for her church supper? Glad you got to spend some time with her. 🙂
Thanks, Cheyenne! I am planning to post some pie recipes too. What kinds does your family like best? We tend to go for pumpkin or pecan around here! 🙂
My sis made 4 pies - apple and pumpkin. Mmm.
I do love a flaky pie crust, unfortunately I recently went wheat free and am having a hard time finding a good substitute for wheat flour. I did make an acceptable crust, but the edges are too hard. Maybe the egg trick will help. Thank you for sharing it at What We Accomplished Wednesdays. Have a great weekend!
Hugs,
Deborah
Unfortunately, I do not know how to deal with wheat-free crusts! My sister has made them, but I haven't. I hope you find something that works for you!