How to Make a Good Pie Crust

Title: How to Make a Good Pie Crust
Subject: flour; salt; sugar; butter; vegetable shortening; egg; ice water; vinegar
Description: HOW TO MAKE A GOOD PIE CRUST SHERYL JULIAN
THE BOSTON GLOBE
In the days when the settlers heaped fall
fruits and squashes into pastry bases, just
as they had done in England, families revered
good bakers. In those days, every woman
practically made pastry with her eyes closed
and lard was the fat of choice. "Half fat to
water to mix" was the formula most bakers
swore by, passing on to their daughters a
recirecipe without instructions.
As the formula trickled down through the
generations, cooks in this century adjusted
it to include solid vegetable shortening.
To make a double crust in a food
processor, put into the workbowl fitted with

Card 1 Back:
the steel blade, 2 cups flour, a pinch of
salt and 3 TB sugar. Pulse once to sift
them. Remove the lid and add 8 TB (1 stick)
cut-up butter and ¼ cup solid vegetable
shortening. Pulse quickly in on-off motions
half a dozen times or until the mixture turns
faintly yellow and resembles crumbs. Stop
the motor and remove the lid. In a 1-cup
glass measure whisk 1 egg with a fork. To
the cup add enough ice water to make ½ cup of
liquids. Add ½ teaspoon vinegar.
Sprinkle almost all of the liquids onto the
flour (always hold back a TB.) Replace the lid
and pulse in on-off motions just until the
pastry forms moist clumps. If the pastry
doesdoesn't form clumps, add the remaining

Card 2 Front:
liqHOW TO MAKE A GOOD PIE CRUST, CARD NO. 2

liquids and work in on-off motions. If
necessary, add ice water to the food
processor by sprinkling it in with your
hands. The pastry must not come together in
the food processor to form a ball.
Turn the clumps out onto the counter and
cut through them over and over with a blunt
knife or a metal palette knife until they
come together to form a dough. Sprinkle

lightlightly with flour and divide in half.
Shape each half into a smooth flat cake.
Wrap separately in foil. Refrigerate for 20
minutes before rolling out. Use to make any
9" double crust pie or any two 9" one-crust

Card 2 Back:
pies.

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# How to Make a Good Pie Crust

*Recipe by Sheryl Julian — The Boston Globe*

*Makes one 9" double crust pie or two 9" one-crust pies*

## Ingredients

- 2 cups flour
- Pinch of salt
- 3 Tbsp sugar
- 8 Tbsp (1 stick) butter, cut up
- 1/4 cup solid vegetable shortening
- 1 egg
- Ice water (enough to bring egg mixture to 1/2 cup total liquid)
- 1/2 tsp vinegar

## Instructions

1. Put into the workbowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade: 2 cups flour, a pinch of salt, and 3 Tbsp sugar. Pulse once to sift them.
2. Remove the lid and add the cut-up butter and 1/4 cup solid vegetable shortening.
3. Pulse quickly in on-off motions half a dozen times or until the mixture turns faintly yellow and resembles crumbs. Stop the motor and remove the lid.
4. In a 1-cup glass measure, whisk 1 egg with a fork. Add enough ice water to bring the total to 1/2 cup of liquid. Add 1/2 tsp vinegar.
5. Sprinkle almost all of the liquids onto the flour, always holding back 1 Tbsp. Replace the lid and pulse in on-off motions just until the pastry forms moist clumps.
6. If the pastry doesn't form clumps, add the remaining liquids and work in on-off motions. If necessary, add ice water to the food processor by sprinkling it in with your hands. The pastry must not come together in the food processor to form a ball.
7. Turn the clumps out onto the counter and cut through them over and over with a blunt knife or a metal palette knife until they come together to form a dough.
8. Sprinkle lightly with flour and divide in half. Shape each half into a smooth flat cake.
9. Wrap separately in foil. Refrigerate for 20 minutes before rolling out.
10. Use to make any 9" double crust pie or any two 9" one-crust pies.
Source: RCA0008 - Florida Collection of Typed Cards (eBay)
Date: 1980s
Contributor: Sheryl Julian
Rights: Personal/Family
Format: Clipped recipe
Identifier: RCA0008-20260621-0140
Coverage: Florida, US