Pie Crust

Here’s a delicious pie crust recipe that uses a combination of Crisco and butter, perfect for two pie shells:

Tip, keep the butter cold and the water ice cold. Also Freeze your Crisco for 30 minutes so it's cold. I recommend you mix it, place immediately in plastic wrap and chill for one hour, not 30 min. It also helps if your rolling pin is cold. I have a plastic one pictured above that I use filled with ice water when doing puff pastry or pie shells. If making apple pie, add a teaspoon of cinnamon and a half teaspoon of nutmeg to your crust. 

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small cubes

• 1/2 cup Crisco shortening, chilled

• 6-8 tablespoons ice water

Instructions:

1. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt.

2. Cut in Butter and Crisco: Add the cold butter cubes and Crisco shortening to the flour mixture. Use a pastry cutter or your fingers to work the butter and Crisco into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

3. Add Ice Water: Gradually add the ice water, one tablespoon at a time, stirring with a fork after each addition until the dough begins to come together. The dough should be moist but not sticky.

4. Form the Dough: Gather the dough into a ball and divide it in half. Flatten each half into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

5. Roll Out the Dough: On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disk of dough to fit your pie pan. Place the dough into the pan and trim any excess. Repeat with the second disk for your second pie shell.

6. Chill and Use: If you're not baking the crust immediately, chill it in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Tips:

• Chill the Ingredients: Make sure your butter and Crisco are very cold to get a flaky crust.

• Avoid Overworking: Handle the dough as little as possible to keep it tender and flaky.