Insanely good that is! Jump all the way down this post for a crazy easy recipe for a homemade pie crust. This recipe is sure to impress even the pickiest of grandmas. And just in time for the holidays too!
It is common knowledge that the mark of a truly exceptional pie lies in its crust. It doesn’t matter how decadent, creamy, or awe-inspiring your pie filling is, a homemade pie crust sends it over the top.
Make no mistake, if you choose (as I often do) to use Pillsbury’s pre-made crust in the red box, that is a wise choice and I highly recommended it. But should you want to venture into the esteemed Hall of Pie-dom where only the best of the best pies reside, then read on because the secret is right below!
The Secret of the Homemade Pie Crust
It’s easy. That’s the secret. To see just how easy, keep scrolling down to the video.
I’ve always been intimidated by pie crusts. All my life, I’ve heard stories of how hard they are, you can only make a good one with LARD, the temperature in the kitchen has to be just so, and Oh My Goodness what ever you do, DON’T forget the ice chips!!
Uh, really? I’m already reaching for the Pillsbury’s pie crust. Don’t be fooled, it’s not hard. This past summer I was lamenting about this with my girlfriend, Wanda, owner of Tuscan Hills Winery. I was complaining about my complete inability to make a pie crust. She just starting laughing. “Pie crust is nothing to laugh about it!” I told her. Her response? She laughed even harder.
She looked me dead in the eye and said, “I’m coming over next week and making you a pie with a homemade pie crust. You’ll see why I’m laughing.”
Tricks and Tips
Sure enough, she came over, we rolled up our sleeves and got to it. She was right. I was amazed at not only how easy it was, but how light and flakey it turned out. Now before you get all giddy on me, there is a trick and it’s in the technique. It’s not hard and it doesn’t take long. But it’s a bit hard to explain so I made the video below.
After shaping the dough into a disk, press the sides inward, making it into a smaller disk. Then flatten it again and repeat.
It’s this process that creates the pie’s flakey texture. Also, making a homemade pie crust should be fairly fast. If you manhandle the heck out of it, you’ll make it tough. Don’t over work it.
For an easy and pleasing trick, use the left over dough to cut out leaf shapes to decorate your pie. It’s so cute and not hard at all. It gives a plain pie that little something extra!
With just a few deft strokes of the knife, you have pretty little leaves complete with veins and all! Or use a favorite cookie cutter for something altogether different.
However you choose to decorate your pie crust (or not), have fun making a homemade crust. Pie is always good and you don’t have to wait for the holidays!
Grandma’s Homemade Pie Crust
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 2/3 cup crisco shortening, plus 2 tablespoons
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 4 1/2 tablespoons water
Equipment
- pie dish
- fork
- whisk
- bowl
- measuring cups and spoon
- rolling pin
Instructions
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Put all dry ingredients into the bowl. Stir to combine.
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Drop pea size bits of the shortening into flour.
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Using the whisk in an up and down motion, break up the shortening into the flour until it looks like course sand.
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Add the water a little at a time until you can form a ball.
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Flatten into a disk and chill for a least 1/2 hour or over night.
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Roll out onto a floured surface.
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Place into the pie tin and prick with a fork.
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Fill with your favorite filling!