Pie Crust

So, for the LONGEST time, pies were something I simply COULD NOT MAKE! The crusts are what got me every single time. I had "given up" on my efforts in fine tuning my crusts until I was at my Grandma Cowley's one weekend visiting and was going through her recipes!! I FOUND THE GOLDEN TICKET! :)

2 c flour
1 t salt
1/4 c water
2/3 c canola oil

In a larger bowl, mix together the flour and salt. Take 1/3 c of THAT mixture and put it into a separate tinier bowl. To the 1/3 c flour mixture, add 1/4 c water to make a paste. Set aside. To the larger bowl of flour and salt, add the oil until well blended. Once both are mixed well, mix paste into the oil mixture until well blended. This will make it firm up more into a crust dough. Viola! There you have it! This makes a DOUBLE crust for fruit pies, etc.

People have asked me how I make my pies look pretty! I've added pictures above to show the "step" process in which to do that. The first step is by putting the dough BETWEEN two pieces of wax paper! ABSOLUTELY CRUCIAL! Roll into a circle and set the pan on top to make sure it goes out about an inch to an inch and a half to be big enough to go up the sides. Once it's rolled into a large enough circle, remove JUST THE TOP piece of wax paper. Take the corners of the bottom piece (now has crust on it) and flip it over onto your pie tin. If you're careful, you have a little flexibility with a tiny bit of movement. Once you have "in place" remove the other sheet of wax paper and the crust should fall into the pie pan. Gently lift the edges to scoot into the bottom of the pan and up the sides. Don't want a ton of excess dough around the edges. Just a little is perfect. Flip that tiny bit UNDER and form a smooth hump around the edge of the crust. With your thumb and index finger (as shown above) left hand move along the outside and the right thumb and index finger will "fit into" the other two fingers to make the edge you see pictured. That picture is deceiving, but I didn't have anyone to take my picture with both my hands in the picture. :) Sorry! For pre-baked crusts for pies like Lemon Meringue, chocolate pudding, etc, bake at 350 for 12 minutes. Fruit pies you don't "pre-bake" your crust.