Pie Crust

If I had a nickel for every fight DH and I had over pie crusts and who could make them better…

 I would have at least 5 bucks.. ( do the math… that is a lot of fights….)
He insisted he could make them better… because when he was younger… he made ONE pie crust and it was the best… everyone raved and raved over it.. I challenged him all the time.. make one.. "ohhhh I will later" 14 years I have been hearing about some stupid pie crust that melted in your mouth…
Mine ranged from the texture of shoe leather to old rotten shoe leather… Mama's recipe didn't work for me.. I got too much water… worked it too long.. didn't let it sit.. was to dry.. not thin enough… not thick enough.. pie crust to me was a battle…. I gave up and started the housewifes worse habit…. I bought pie crust…

They're in the fridge section next to the eggs at walmart if you need to know

Then one day last year I got on a mission.. WHY did they taste like shoe leather? Why do you chip teeth when eating? Wasn't butter better than shortening? What? Why?
Even though I think she is a fraud Pioneer woman had a blog about pie crusts.. it helped so much.. you mean? You mix it very lightly and then leave it alone?? You don't knead it?? Ok I wasn't kneading it but it was close. I learned that a mixture of butter and lard make a flaky tasty crust… that once you mix it you need to put it in the freezer for at least 20 mins so your butter has time to get cold again… other wise it will melt too fast in the oven causing your pie crusts to "melt" when the sides fall down or the rim starts to drip off the pie plate? Yeah.. let it cool back down.. the heat of working it and if your like me and hate pastry blenders or don't have you the heat of your hands causes the butter to melt… so in the freezer it goes.
The amount you mix is actually a big deal too.. you want big chunks of fat to be there so when it melts it makes it flaky.. use ice cold water… and when you mix the final mixing with water only a few stirs until the flour comes together and you can form a ball is good enough… don't go past it or shoe leather will be surfacing.
*Note:
So here is my flaky pie crust.. one step is missing... just when you get to that part imagine a crabby housewive and kids asking every 2 mins if they can have the last of the cheesecake...then have pity for her and come clean her house..

 

Big bowl.. we have flour, salt, butter and lard

Mix lightly until you start to see little balls forming…
*
Add your water.. mix until ball forms.. ( See note above)

Lighty shape into round patties like so..put them in bags and plop them into your freezer for 20 to 25 mins

Your pie crust is ready for you now..
I wanted to do a blackberry pie for dessert today with a lattice top so I thought I will show how

Bottom crust rolled out and filling in…

Lattice work.. I inherited my moms pie cutter thingy when I got married and it makes beautiful scalloped edges

Lay out your strips

Pull back every other strip half way up

Lay a strip of crust on

Carefully lowering the strips over

Pulling back now the opposite strips

Laying down another strip.. this is all done with carefulness, you don't want to tear the strips.

Camera taking pictures on it's own

Continue until all lattice work is done.. it should look like a weaving..

Fold over crust edges and crimp… Your done!! Well…. Now it is time to bake and clean up the mess.

Print Recipe

Recipe:
1 ¼ cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons of butter
4 tablespoons of lard or shortening
3 tablespoons of ice water
Mix flour and salt, dice up butter and spoon out shortening into flour mix until small clumps form ( there will be large chunks of butter)
Add ice water and mix until forms a ball, pat into round patties and place into plastic bags, set in freezer for 20 mins or one hour in fridge.