Recipes for pie crust are often a closely guarded secret. Or rather they were when I was growing up.
On the farm we rendered our own lard after we butchered pigs (simple farm fact for those who are cringing right now) and years and years later I still have a little bit of that home rendered lard that I use on very special occasions to make pie crust.
The Tenderflake and other ‘lard’ you buy in the store will work of course as not everyone has home rendered lard available.
Regardless…..you need a decent crust, so let’s go make it.
It is easiest to make a batch of crust that will do one complete pie i.e. the bottom and the top.
For single crust pies we only need the bottom and will have extra so I will often make something else using just the bottom like an apple pie in a smaller plate and fold over the crust. You can do this in mini creusettes and make a few of them.
Freezing pie dough, in my humble opinion, is awful. Does not work. I have tried it. Put wonderful fresh (extra) pie dough in the freezer and then thawed it and tried to use it…like a rubber tire …and try baking that??? I don’t think so.
Make a batch and use it. There are also some sweet pastry things to use that extra dough. I’ve done it and will have to find that for you and post…
Alright the pastry…
Make this ahead of time if you like as it can chill in the fridge for a few hours.
1 cup of lard or Tenderflake (if you only have Crisco that is what you will have to use)
1 egg
2 tablespoons of vinegar
cold water to fill measuring cup
The above stuff…you measure your lard in a 1 cup measure and then put it in a bowl…you use the same 1 cup measure and put in the egg….beat it….add the vinegar…and fill it to 1 cup with cold water (this volume has worked for me and Mom and Grandma…the point is to have the volume of water to cohere the flour but not form the gluten which will start to make it tough).
Cut it into a bowl that has 2 ½ cups of good flour and 1 teaspoon of baking powder and a wee pinch of cream of tartar.
Cut all that stuff together with a pastry cutter, a couple forks or however you want to do it and in a few short minutes it will make a nice ball of lardy pastry. It is preferable to chill it for at least 15 – 20 minutes if you have time.
Roll it out.
Sprinkle a little flour on a surface.
Take about half of the ball of pastry and put it on the flour.
Roll it out. If you don’t have a proper rolling pin fret not. A can or bottle will work. Bottom line is you want to roll out the pastry to a sheet so you can place it into the pie plate.
Roll to about ¼ inch you do not want it too thick nor too thin.
Drape it over your pie plate with a few inches overlap of dough. This is up to each individual and how perfect they want the edges to look. Obviously you can see from my apple and cherry pies that the uber perfection part was absent.
As it is a single crust you should poke some holes in it with a fork or use a piece of foil placed on the crust and put something heavy on it that wont cook – dry beans or pastry beads or weights. This is just to avoid the pastry bubble. And if you get some bubbles just push them down after it is done.
Bake it at 400F about 20 minutes do not overbake it or it will be bitter.
If you are making a double crust pie the bottom will not be baked first and after you roll out the bottom, the filling will be placed inside then the top rolled out and placed. Then you can have fun with various decorative tops and designs or just a basic top with some air holes (see my Apple pie and cherry pie).
Bon Appetit!
