Flaky Pie Crust

Julie made the best pie crusts. They were flaky, buttery, and delicious. We could always tell that making pie crust made mom a little anxious because it is such a delicate art. None of us really quite understood her anxiety until after her passing. The pie crust making mantle was passed onto us and we began to fail, succeed, and fail making her delicious pie crusts. 

Julie would vary between how much butter and shortening she would use depending on the day, but she often used a mixture of both.

This recipe is adapted from the Joy of Cooking cook book. For more thorough instructions on making pie dough, please refer to the Joy of Cooking book, or see this instructional series.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 tsp white sugar or 1 tbps powdered sugar

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 cup solid vegetable shortening or 1/2 cup of shortening and 1 stick of cold butter

• 1/3 cup plus 1 tbps ice cold water 

Instructions:

Thoroughly mix flour, sugar, and salt.

Ensure the butter/shortening is cold. Working quickly, cut the fat into small pieces, then cut the fat into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter or food processor until some fat is the size of peas. The rest should be the consistency of course crumbs or cornmeal.

Drizzle ice cold water water over mixture. Using a rubber spatula, cut with the bald side until the mixture is evenly moistened and forms small balls. When pressed, the dough should stick together. If not, drizzle another 1 to 2 tbps of water on top (no more than this) and mix with spatula again. The dough should look rough.

Now, divide the dough in half. Press each half into a round flat disk. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, but preferably for several hours.

Roll dough into a circle and form to pan.