Kitchen

[Sweetbay magnolia]

 I have never made a pie crust from scratch and I think I'd like to make an apple pie for DH, and a quiche.

What makes it really good? Is it difficult?

[Constance2]

Making pie crust is easy. I prefer an oil pie crust. If I wasn't posting with my cell phone. I'd give you the recipe. Just Google best pie crust.

[sandy53]

A traditional pastry crust is not easy, but it is certainly worth learning to do if you are interested.  I would start with a simple, basic recipe like from a Better Homes and Gardens or Betty Crocker cookbook.  Don't try to get fancy until you get used to the technique.  I think it helps to have pastry cutter tool to cut in the shortening.  Use very cold water and have a good rolling pin.  Roll from the center out using very short quick strokes.  Don't roll back and forth.  The more you work the dough or stretch it, the less tender the crust will be.  Use a light touch both for mixing and rolling.  Good luck!

Personally, I like the Pillsbury pie crusts from the dairy case.  I especially like them for one crust pies.  I think they are a little too thick to use for a top crust. 

[itsmagic]

I think making a pie crust is fairly easy. I know there are several recipes but I always use a classic Crisco pie crust recipe. I have a pastry cutter but I've heard you could use a knife to cut the flour into the Crisco.  My tips are - don't overmix the dough and flour your rolling pin and surface well so it doesn't stick.  Good luck!

[Sweetbay magnolia]

Thanks, @sandy53 and @Constance2, you are most kind to answer - I am in a mood to learn a new skill (and maybe buy new kitchen stuff).  I've never worked with dough besides the pre-made stuff.  I'll refer to my "Joy".  Sometimes though, there is nothing like first-hand experiences, even with the best of books.

I would love to make a pumpkin pie (I could live on that) with a handmade crust.

Share, please!

[IamMrsG]

Maida Heatter has forgotten more about making pastries than most of us will ever know.  She is sometimes criticized for her verbosity in recipes, but I find her attention to detail valuable.  Here is a link for her directions for an authentic pie shell. 

My note:  I use lard instead of vegetable shortening.

[gardenman]

Making pie crust is pretty easy. I just use a knife to cut in the lard (now said to be better for you than shortening.) The right size/shape bowl makes cutting in the lard easier. I use a big plastic measuring cup (maybe six or seven inches across and about that deep with steep sides) and in a minute or two the lard is cut in nicely.

The big things to remember is to keep everything cold, don't overwork the dough, keep it moist enough, but not too moist (arguably the trickiest part) and don't cut in the lard too finely. Some decent sized pieces aren't a big problem.

[VaBelle35]

There are two ways to go with pie crust, the easy way that works every time or the harder way that gets better with practice.

The easy way:

I used to use a version of this recipe for many years before I bought a food processor.  It worked like a charm.

Perfect Pie Crust (Pioneer Woman)

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/p-p-p-pie_crust_and_its_p-p-p-perfect/

This is the one I use now that I have a food processor:

Our Favorite Pie Crust (Everyday Food/Martha Stewart)

http://www.marthastewart.com/344292/our-favorite-pie-crust

[jaxs mom]

My grandma's recipe, makes 2 crusts

2 1/3 cups flour

1 T sugar

1 1/2 sticks of cold butter

1 t salt

1/4 cup cold lard

1 T white vinegar

4-6 T ice water

Mix the flour, sugar and salt. Cut in the butter and lard using a pastry cutter or you can use the food processor pulsing until is resembles coarse crumbs.  You should still be able to see small pieces of butter. Mix in the vinegar and ice water starting with 4 tablespoons water using up to 6 if needed until dough just holds together when pressed, 1 tabelspoon at a time. Form into a ball, divide into two, flatten each ball into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 45 minutes before using. 

Do not over knead the dough as it developes the gluten and becomes tough. 

[JennPari]

The best pie crust I have used was the Better Homes and Gardens pie crust recipe in their big red binder. The big change to it that I do is replace the shortening with really cold butter.