Making a Pie Crust without Shortning?

Question

I'm living here in Ukraine for a few months and I need to make an apple pie for a thanksgiving dinner me and a few americans are having. I know how to bake pies, but here in Ukraine we can't find shortning. Is there anyone out there that would know the best way to make a good crust without shortning?

Answer 1

This is my favorite that I make often :

Oil Pie Crust

"Very easy recipe from my Grandmother. Crust can be rolled out a second time if necessary and it won't get tough."
Original recipe yield: 2 pastry crusts.

INGREDIENTS:
2 3/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk

DIRECTIONS:
Mix flour and salt together. Pour milk and oil into one measuring cup, do not stir, and add all at once to flour. Stir until mixed, and shape into 2 flat balls. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 15 minutes or more.
Roll out on lightly floured surface.

Answer 2

You need to follow a recipe for a pie crust. Mix mixing flour, milk, salt etc... will just make paste. Pie Crust: 3 cups flour 2-3 tbsp sugar 1 tsp salt 1 heaping cut veggie shortening well chiiled 1 cup ice cold water Mix the flour, salt and sugar. Cut in the shortening until pea sized, slowy add the water a dribble at a a time until pulls together.The add just a sprinkle more. Wrap in seran wrap and put in the fridge at least 1 hour, or overnight. Now here are my tips for getting a perfect crust: If you have a clear glass pie dish use that it is the best. I'll tell you why later. Cover the whole to pie foil for about the first 1/2 of the baking time. Look at the bottom of the pie pan. If you can see the bottom crust starting to brown then it is time to take the top foil off. If it is not yet turning brown then leave the foil on longer. * If you don't have a clear pie pan then just go a little longer than half way or try to peek by usuing a butter knife and gently pulling the crust away from the edge, it doesn't always work but sometimes does. Ater the bottom starts to turn brown the unver the top of the pie and bake until the top os golden brown. This helps to prevent a soggy slimy bottom crust. You may need to re-wrap just the edges of the pie if they are getting to dark and the middle is still pasty white, so keep the foil ready.

Answer 3

Here's a recipe I use. Cheers,

Flaky Butter Crust

This is a fast, flaky crust that is prized by caterers and bakers. The fat and the dough must be kept cold throughout the entire operation of blending, rolling, and shaping.

Ingredients:

1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup cold water
1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
11 ounces (about 2 cups) all-purpose flour
2-1/2 cups raw rice, dried beans, or pie weights

Instructions:

Dissolve the salt in the water and refrigerate. Place the butter and flour in a mixer bowl. Chill bowl, ingredients, and paddle blade for mixer in freezer until well chilled, at least 30 minutes.

Using the paddle blade and the slowest mixer speed, cut the butter into the flour until the butter resembles flakes of oatmeal. With the mixer running, slowly pour in the cold salted water and mix until the dough forms a ball. Divide the dough into three equal amounts. Shape each into a disk 6 to 8 inches in diameter and 3/4 inch thick. Wrap the disks in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).

Remove one dough disk from the refrigerator and roll it out into an 11-inch circle. Place the dough in a 9-inch pie pan and press well into the pan. Lift the edges, fold under slightly, and press down so that the edges are slightly thicker. Place a piece of wax paper or parchment over the crust and fill the crust with rice to hold it down in the pan. Press the rice down and out to sides. Return the crust to the refrigerator or freezer while rolling out the next disk. Repeat rolling, filling, and refrigerating with the other two crusts. The crusts must be cold when they go into the hot oven, so do not leave one out while working on another.

Bake until the edges are lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Remove the rice and press the paper liner to force the crust down into the pan well, then remove the liner. Prick each crust several times with a fork. Bake 5 to 10 minutes longer.

Yield: Makes three single 9-inch crusts

Answer 4

4 C. Flour
1/2 C. Butter
8oz. Cream Cheese

Just need all the ingredients together. Roll into ball, cover with wax paper and let sit in fridge for atleast an hour. Roll out dough...makes 1 double crust or 2 single crusts. It sounds simple and it is!!!! When you bake the pie..........it comes out so flaky and delicious. I put cream cheese in everything....and it is always worth it!

I hope you can find all the ingredients for this recipe because it is very good and simple to make. I use it for every pie that I bake around the holiday!!!! Good Luck :)

Answer 5

Many people also use butter or margarine in their crusts. Unlike lard and vegetable shortening, which are 100% fat, butter and margarine are around 80% fat, so you have to boost the amount of fat in your recipe by 20% to get the right ratio relative to the other ingredients. In using butter and margarine, you're also adding a certain amount of water to your crust, so you may need to cut back on another liquid specified in the recipe. A crust made with only butter or margarine will turn out less tender and flaky than one made with lard or vegetable shortening.

Lard and vegetable shortening are also used in pie crusts because they have a higher melting point than butter, so they are easier to work with and don't require you to be as obsessive about keeping the dough cold. Vegetable shortening, in particular, does nothing for the taste of your crust.

Answer 6

I use a real Soft Buttery spread. It gives my crust an amazing butter flavor and it is so flaky.

Answer 7

That they are good for health, however if you are asking which is better for diet in this instance all vegetables would do well

Answer 8

I've heard that chilled butter pieces work very well.