Pastry – Crisco
Description
You can’t beat Crisco and this is the original recipe straight from the box – tried and true via all of the grandparents!
This recipe has never failed and it’s easy to work with. If you’re even the tiniest bit intimidated by pastry, I strongly urge you to give yourself a break, and give this steadfast little number a try – enjoy!
Ingredients
2 c. flour AND 1/2 t. salt
1 c. Crisco
1 egg, beaten lightly
2 T. ice-cold water AND 1 T. vinegar
Instructions
Mix together the flour and salt and then using a pastry cutter (or 2 forks), cut in the Crisco. Keep cutting until it resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized pieces, then add in the egg, ice water and vinegar.
From this point I mix it with a heavy duty wooden spoon or a really sturdy spatula until it comes together and sometimes finish the mixing with my hands. Divide it into 2 even-sized mounds (I use my kitchen scale to get them exact), work each into a ball that has no obvious cracks, and then wrap individually in Saran Wrap and refrigerate until ready to use. I always make this ahead of time (it freezes very well!), but I think it would work best if it was chilled at least a couple of hours before using.
From here the rolling out is up to you. I use a floured pastry cloth and rolling pin cover for Crisco crusts and then also use a cold piece of baking marble when I make a butter or cream cheese crust. I have my own way of figuring out the size (slightly bigger for the bottom), and after several tries have figured out how to seal a pie so that it doesn’t leak – this doesn’t necessarily guarantee a pretty pie though. Practice, practice, practice. If you like pie, even a little bit, it’s worth it!
- Category: Pastry
