My family always says that if you are going to be making a pie from scratch, please… for all that is holy… make your crust from scratch. It is amazingly simple and the wait time is minimal. Don’t be intimidated to make your own pie crust.
You don’t necessarily have to have any special tools to make a pie crust, but if you have a pastry cutter, that helps; however, you can always use the two fork method (or one fork).
This is a recipe that is from the “red book.” My parents have this Betty Crocker book that has amazing and classic recipes. I believed my mom told me that it was a wedding gift; which is a gift that continues to keep on giving, let me tell you. That is one thing that is amazing about cooking; you can share that joy with the ones you love. Have you ever gone to a cook-out that did not have food? NO! Whenever you plan a party, you always think of … food. Food is a conversational piece, an ice breaker, something that we (as human beings) all have in common; I mean you gotta eat right?
So when you are thinking about what to make for this wonderful 4th of July weekend, think of making pie. My family uses this recipe for apple pie, rhubarb pie, cherry pie, etc. In my family, we always do double crusted pies because, I mean come on; it helps keep the deliciousness inside. I hope this will become your go to recipe as well.
Please note that when I was making this pie crust, I was chasing light as it was starting to storm outside.
Michigan Ingredient: Meijer Flour
I know, I know… a bit of a stretch, but there are not many ingredients necessary for this crust. It’s usually what’s inside that counts.
In Michigan, there are two types of pie that every woman needs to know how to make: apple pie and cherry pie. Trust me, I will help you with being able to tackle both… [insert foreshadowing now…]
First things first, measure out your flour and salt and combine in a bowl.
EXPERT TIP!! Before you measure your shortening, spray your measuring cups with non-stick spray to assist with stick-age (<– not a word… but how else would you describe it). Yes, there will be a little bit that sticks, BUT not nearly as much if you did not spray your measuring cups with non-stick spray.
Drop your shortening in your flour mixture and “cut” the shortening into the flour. You will do this until the mixture looks like pea-sized crumbs (like below)
You could do this in a food processor; I’ve seen people do it, but the nostalgia of making a pie crust the “old fashioned” way is the way I prefer to do it.
Add your ice water to the mixture and combine. You can use a spoon, but sometimes you just need to use the tools that god gave ya (your hands) and get in there and get messy. I would recommend that you remove any jewelry.
Once the dough is combined, divide in half, and shape into round discs. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, put them in a gallon-sized zip-lock bag, and place them in the freezer for at least 2 hours.
When you are ready to use the dough, I would recommend trying to roll the dough while it is wrapped in the clear plastic wrap. It makes it so you don’t have to use flour and then run into the chance of the dough having a slight flour taste. ALSO! Transfer is a snap!
Try to roll it out into as much of a circle as possible. I would recommend having your pie plate out so that you can eyeball how much you need to roll the dough out.
Repeat with the second disc of dough of rolling it out.
Fill the pie with your favorite filling and top with the second crust. Trim and crimp the edges and set aside the excess dough (I’ll tell you what to do with the excess dough on Thursday). Once you are ready to bake, brush the top with a beaten egg to help get that “golden” look.
- 3⅓ cups of Flour
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1¼ cups of Shortening
- 8-9 tablespoons of Ice Water
- Combine your flour and salt in a bowl.
- Spray your measuring cups with cooking spray; measure your shortening and scoop into the flour.
- Use either a pastry cutter or two forks and "cut" the shortening into the flour until it resembles pea sized crumbs.
- Pour 8 tablespoons of ice water into the mixture. If it combines easy, you do not need more water. If it seems like it is a bit difficult to combine, add the remaining tablespoon of water.
- Once the pie dough is combined, cut the dough in half and shape into round discs. Place the dough in the freezer for a couple of hours.
- When you are ready to use the dough, take the discs out of the freezer and roll out (as best as you can) into 9 or 10 inch circles and fill with your favorite filling. Trim and crimp the edges. Set aside the excess dough.
- When you are ready to bake, you can brush the crust with a beaten egg to help achieve the "golden" look.