Mamas Old Fashioned Pie Crust Recipes

GRANDMA'S PERFECT PIE CRUST

Steps:

• In a medium bowl stir together flour and salt. With a pastry blender cut in shortening till pea-sized.
• Sprinkle water on one tablespoon at a time tossing with a fork. Push moistened dough to the side. Mix till all flour is moistened. Don't mix too much or the crust will be hard.
• Form into a ball and roll out on the floured surface. Turn and flour the dough a few times till it's the size you need.

RUTH'S GRANDMA'S PIE CRUST

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, combine all-purpose flour, shortening, sugar, and salt. Blend together with a pastry cutter until crumbly.
• In a small bowl, mix egg with water. Blend into flour mixture. Chill in refrigerator until ready to use.

MAMA'S OLD FASHIONED PIE CRUST

Steps:

• 1. In a large bowl, mix together flour, salt, and sugar until well combined. Using clean hands or pastry cutter, add butter and toss until just coated. Cut butter into flour mixture until butter is in butterbean sized pieces and comes together in 1 inch clumps when squeezed, about 2 minutes. Add shortening, toss until just coated in flour, then rub into flour mixture until mixture forms pea-size pieces (some big chunks should remain) and comes together in fist-sized clumps when squeezed, about 1 minute.
• 2. Drizzle in half ice water and rake through mixture with fingers until just moistened. Drizzle in remaining water 1 tablespoon at a time and comb through mixture with fingers to moisten. It will go from being grizzly sticky mess to coming together. Dough is moist enough when it is moistened through but is not wet when pressed.
• 3. Lord don't mash the dough to death or it will be tougher than an ex con. Gather into a ball. Turn dough onto a piece of plastic wrap, press it into a flat disk, then close in wrap. Place in coldest part of refrigerator (usually back bottom shelf) at least 30 minutes before rolling out and forming into a crust.
• 4. If it seems to be a bit warmer than it should when rolling, stop, put everything in the fridge for about 15 minutes. Then start again.

MOM'S PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Combine flour and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer. Cut butter into tablespoon pieces; add it to the flour and butter. Use the paddle beater to cut the butter and flour together. Alternatively, this can be done by hand with a pastry blender.
• With the mixer on low speed , or while stirring the mixture with a fork, pour in the cold water. When the dough starts to clump, and before it turns into a ball, stop stirring.
• Lightly knead dough in the bowl until it forms a ball. Divide dough into two parts. Flatten each part into a disk, and chill for about 30 minutes before rolling.

OLD FASHIONED FLAKY PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Whisk flour with salt in a bowl; use a fork to stir in vegetable oil. Mix in water, 1 tablespoon at a time, before adding more water. Gather dough into a ball, divide in half, and roll out on a floured work surface.

MAMA'S FRIED PIES

Steps:

• Cook fruit in water until tender. Drain and mix with sugar and margarine. Mash well. Refrigerate overnight if possible. Roll out homemade piecrust dough and cut into saucer-sized circles.
• Spoon fruit onto circles and fold over into crescent shapes, then close the edges completely with a fork. Fry until golden brown. Place fried pies on paper towels to absorb excess oil.
• Variations: For baked pies, place crescents on a lightly-greased baking sheet in a 400 degree oven until golden brown.
• For apple pies, use dried apples and add apple pie spice (or nutmeg and cinnamon) and vanilla to taste.
• For prune pies, use dry, pitted prunes and add vanilla to taste.
• Place the flour and a dash of salt in a mixing bowl. Add the shortening and cut it in with a pastry blender or use your hands, as I do. Add the water, a teaspoon at a time, kneading until the dough is smooth.

MAMA'S BUTTERMILK COCONUT PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to a 1/8-in.-thick circle; transfer to a 9-in. pie plate. Trim to 1/2 in. beyond rim of plate; flute edge. Place pie plate on a rimmed baking sheet., In a large bowl, beat sugar, eggs, buttermilk, melted butter, flour, vanilla and salt until blended. Stir in coconut. Pour into crust. Bake until light golden brown and center is almost set, 50-60 minutes. Cool on a wire rack; serve or refrigerate within 2 hours.

MOM'S APPLE PIE I

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (225 degrees C). Fit bottom crust into a 9 inch pie plate.
• In a small bowl, mix together sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Place sliced apples in a large bowl and sprinkle with sugar mixture. Toss until apples are thoroughly coated. Spoon apples into pan.
• Dot apples with butter or margarine, then sprinkle with whiskey. Cover with top crust. Seal edges and cut steam vents in top.
• Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Lower temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and bake an additional 40 minutes. Serve warm.

OLD-FASHIONED SHORTENING PIE DOUGH

Steps:

• Combine the flour, sugar (if using), and salt in a large bowl; refrigerate for 15 minutes.
• Add the shortening to the dry ingredients and toss it with your hands to coat, then break it up into smaller pieces. Using a pastry blender, cut the shortening into the dry ingredients until the pieces of fat are roughly the size of small peas and everything looks like it has been touched by the fat. There should be no dry, floury areas.
• Mound the ingredients in the center of the bowl. Drizzle about half of the water down the sides of the bowl, turning the bowl as you pour so the water doesn't end up in one spot. Using a large fork, lightly mix the dough, tossing it from the perimeter toward the center of the bowl. Drizzle most of the remaining water here and there over the dough and toss again.
• Mix the dough vigorously now. The dough should start to gather in large clumps, but if it is dry in places, stir in the rest of the water.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and pack it into a ball, then knead it several times to smooth it out. Put the dough on a sheet of plastic wrap and flatten it into a ¾-inch-thick disk. Wrap the disk and refrigerate for about 1 hour before rolling.

MOM'S LARD PIE CRUST

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in lard until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle in water, a tablespoon at a time, until pastry holds together. Shape into a ball; chill for 30 minutes. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Transfer to a 10-in. pie plate. Flute edges; fill and bake as pie recipe directs.