I love a good flakey pie crust – who doesn’t? I decided a few years ago to start making my own crusts  – I was dismayed with the long and strange ingredients list often found on store bought brands and the more wholesome choices were too costly for my wallet. What is a crust lover to do? Make her own! Once I got over the initial intimidation of ‘making a pie’, I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it is and how little time is actually needed. Try it yourself and see. Use for sweet or savory pies. Freeze or use immediately.  Recipe makes one 10 – 12 inch pie crust. (double or make two if you need a top and bottom crust).

Flakey Pie Crust

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into small pieces

*3 tablespoons chilled vegetable shortening

*I actually don’t use vegetable shortening (I don’t care for it), I use chilled butter, cut into small pieces in place of it and it works beautifully…

2-3 tablespoons ice water

Mix flour, salt. Cut butter into flour – meaning use a pastry blender or two knives or do what I do – I simply use my finger tips to blend the butter pieces into flour mixture – until it resembles coarse meal. Slowly add 1 tablespoon water at a time and combine until dough sticks together and ball begins to form.

Knead once or twice in bowl – place on a sheet of wax paper and slightly flatten into roughly a 6-inch disc. Wrap and chill in fridge for about 30 minutes or freeze if making for a later date. Dough is best not handled too much…

On a lightly floured surface and with a floured rolling pin, roll dough from the center to the edges until the pastry is about 2 inches larger than the pie plate. Mine aren’t always a perfect circle nor does the overhang always equate 2 inches…when that happens, I break out my kitchen scissors and give it a trim, saving the cut-offs in the freezer – they will eventually make their own crust…remember the crust will ‘shrink’ a bit, so don’t cut too much off, you’ll want enough for the crimping…if you do cut it too much and it shrinks, oh well, it will still be delicious. (just remember not to ‘fill’ over the top of baked crust, wherever that top may be…)

If you are going to use it immediately (not freeze that is) then you will need to bake it. Line with parchment or waxed paper, fill with dried beans (to weigh it down to prevent puffing up) or pie weights, bake 15 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven. Let cool slightly – remove paper and weights, prick (poke little holes in bottom) bottom and bake 10 more minutes or until golden. Let cool on rack. Use once cooled OR freeze once completely cool – either in pie plate or remove (if you remove it, careful it doesn’t get crushed once in freezer…).

Enjoy.

Broccoli (frozen), roasted potatoe (from the night before) and goat cheese quiche – yum!