Twenty Pie Crusts Recipe

[jessielee]

Got to thinking some of you might would like to have a recipe such as this. A friend shared this recipe with me but I have not had it long enough to make these as of yet but her mom has made these for YEARS!


5lb. plain flour
3lb. shortening
3 c. water
1 c. white corn syrup
2 Tbsp. salt

Mix all ingredients and separate into 20 balls of dough. Wrap in plastic wrap and foil. Store in freezer until ready to use.

[Sheila]

Awesome thank you for sharing this.

[Granny Smith]

Cool! I'm going to try this.

[Valerie]

One pie crust is almost enough to make me cuss. I'd lose my salvation for sure with this recipe!

How does one go about cutting an entire can of shortening into a whole bag of flour?

[jessielee]

Remember I have never made this but it is the recipe from an old woman.

[Granny Smith]

Valerie, use a handheld electric mixer (this recipe is too big to use a food processor). They work great for cutting in shortening. Just put the flour and salt in a BIG bowl, then put in the shortening and go through the top surface of the flour and keep hitting the shortening along the side with the mixer blades so they cut in a little at a time. Don't get in a hurry because it will take about 15 minutes to get it all cut in.

Then mix the liquids together and sort of cut those into the mixture (or mix them in with a fork), just until all the flour is moistened. You're not aiming to make a dough at this point, but more of a coarse crumble. Once all the flour is moistened, pick up a small handful and squeeze it. If it doesn't form a smooth dough right away, add a little more water and mix it in. Once you have enough liquid in it to make a nice piece of dough, gather all of the dough together with your hands, gently pressing it into a ball (or blob). It should hold together. Then divide it and continue with recipe instructions.

[Valerie]

That's a good idea, Gayle. I've always cut my shortening in either with a fork, two knives, or one of those pastry do-jobs. I was thinking it would take a day and a half to do all this by hand!

[Granny Smith]

Another thing you might do is to only add part of the shortening at a time, cut it in, then add more. I'd still use the mixer, though.

[Valerie]

Ya know, the other day when I made lemon bars, I mixed that butter, flour, and powdered sugar in my stand mixer, with the regular beater, and it came out a nice pie crust consistency. With a little water, I probably could have rolled it, but it's the kind you press in.

[Granny Smith]

I use something like the lemon bar crust, but with nuts added, for my cheesecake.

[Valerie]

I had a recipe once for a pie crust you mix in a bowl and then press into the pie pan. It had oil instead of shortening. It was easier for us crust-challenged people, but it didn't have the same fine texture of a regular crust.

[Granny Smith]

I've made that one! I wasn't wild about it, because of the texture, but it was ok.

I used to have the same issues with crust that you do - it was too crumbly, it was too sticky, it turned out bitter or the texture was wrong. At one point, I got so disgusted with it, I cried and threw a batch against the wall. (Don't do that, especially if you have stucco walls) It took me years to realize that I was making it harder than it has to be and that peasants, using wood-fired ovens and homemade ingredients, made it successfully, so we should be able to, with our modern ovens and ingredients. Basically, all it is is biscuit dough, without the leavening.

[Valerie]

I do fine with it until it's time to roll it and get it off the counter. It's probably my rolling technique more than the dough itself. (Maybe why I'm good with biscuits; no rolling, just gentle patting!) I don't usually wind up with one solid piece big enough to cover the pie plate, and have all these weird shaped projections sticking out everywhere. When I try to get them off the counter they stick and tear. The other day, though, you mentioned something about kneading bread on the table, and I remember that when I was a kid we always did bread, cookies, pie crust, you name it, on the table, not the counter. (We had to clean out the crack of the table with a butter knife periodically!) Maybe I would do better on the table. My big table has glass over it, and that might be better yet!

[Granny Smith]

Try rolling the dough between squares of waxed paper. Wipe the table first with a damp dishrag, to keep it from sliding around. When it's the size you need, peel off the top sheet of waxed paper, turn it over on the pan, and peel off the other sheet.

[Valerie]

OK, you've convinced me to try again. But not today. I bought extra sweet potatoes before Thanksgiving, with an eye toward a pie. I just wasn't wanting to deal with crust. I'll let ya know how it goes.