Pie Crust (4 Star)

This is the pie crust recipe that I use for most pies except fruit pies. For fruit pies I love my mother-in-law's crust which I have posted here. But for most other pies that I make that need a normal flour and fat crust, this is what I like best. This recipe is from my mom's recipe file. The original recipe calls for shortening, but I just can't bring myself to use that stuff. It's like eating soft plastic.

Pie Crust

3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups cold butter
1 egg (beaten)
1 Tablespoon vinegar
4 Tablespoons cold water

Sift together the flour and salt. Cut the butter in with a knife or pastry cutter or pulse in a food processor until it resembles coarse crumbs. In a small bowl combine the egg, vinegar, and water. Pour the liquids into the flour crumbs and stir and knead with hands until it just barely comes together.

This recipe makes two thick bottom crusts or three thin. I like mine thick, so I use it for two. I pat the dough into a round disk and roll it between two pieces of wax paper. (I used to use my Pampered Chef silicon baking mat and it was awesome until it melted in the dishwasher. I loved that thing.) Once it is rolled I peel off the top wax paper and flip the bottom wax paper with the crust stuck to it and center it on the pie pan. Then I peel off the wax paper and gently settle the crust into the pan, cut off the excess with a knife and flute the edges.

I used this crust for all the pies I made for Thanksgiving this year. For the banana cream I pre-cooked the crust. I first pricked the inside of the crust all over with a fork, especially in the area where the bottom meets the sides. Then I lined the inside of the crust with a double thickness of foil, pressing it down firmly all over. Then I baked it in the oven, preheated to 450 degrees for 8 minutes. Then I removed the foil and baked for an additional 5-6 six minutes until golden.