Does anyone have an easy recipe for pie crust?

Question

I am a very good cook, but have not been able to master pie crust. If you have an easy recipe, I would really appreciate it.

Answer 1

I too, could not make a pastry crust to save my life!
I do cook like you and love to have people rave over my efforts. This crust is so tender and flaky you will marvel at how the effect is achieved.

I stumbled across this recipe about 10 years ago, it was in a Southern Living Magazine. (I love their recipes!)

It sounds like it shouldn't work, especially since it uses boiling water, but the results are excellent and I find it much easier than those using ice water etc.

Hope you give it a try.

Water-Whipped Baked Pastry Shell


3/4 C. shortening
1 tablespoon milk
1/4 C. boiling water
2 Cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt


Place first three ingredients in a small, deep bowl; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, and liquid is incorporated into the mixture.
Add flour and salt; beat at lowest speed until all dry ingredients are moistened. Divide dough in half; shape each portion into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap; chill at least 4 hours.
Remove one dough portion from refrigerator. Place between 3 (12-inch-long) pieces of wax paper. Roll out to a 12 inch circle. Carefully peel one piece of wax paper from dough; invert dough into a 9 -inch pie plate.
Remove remaining piece of wax paper carefully; fit dough in pie plate, and flute edges. Prick bottom and sides of pastry with a fork. Repeat procedure with remaining dough, if desired. (Dough may be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.) Bake pastry at 350̊ for 18 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool. Yield: 2 (9-inch) pastry shells.

Eloise PopeMilton, West Virginia
From Southern Living Magazine

Answer 2

Easy Pie Crust:

15 min 15 min prep
2 crust

2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup Butter Flavor Crisco
2 teaspoons lemon juice
3 ounces cold water

1. Put water, butter and crisco in freezer while preparing flour.
2. Sift flour, sugar, and salt together.
3. Cut cold butter and crisco into flour mixture until crumbly.
4. Add cold lemon juice and water. Mix just until moist crumbs form.
5. Turn dough out onto floured counter top.
6. Divide dough into 2 parts.
7. Wrap in plastic wrip and put in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
8. Roll pie dough out and use as pie recipe directs.
9. Enjoy a flaky, great tasting pie crust!

Answer 3

Pie Crust

1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Crisco vegetable shortening, plain or butter-flavored (see Cook's Note)
1/2 teaspoon kosher or coarse salt
3 tablespoons ice water

Mix flour and salt in mixing bowl. Cut shortening into the flour with a pastry cutter, until mixture resembles the texture of tiny split peas. Do not use your hands to try and mix it, the heat from you hands will melt the shortening, causing the pastry to be "heavy", not light and flaky.
Once mixture is the right texture, add the ice water and combine with a fork. It may appear as if it needs more water, it does not. Quickly gather the dough into a ball and flatten into a 4-inch-wide disk. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
Remove dough disk from refrigerator. If stiff and very cold, let stand until dough is cool but malleable.
Using a floured rolling pin, roll dough disk on a lightly floured surface from the center out in each direction, forming a 12-inch circle. To transfer dough, carefully roll it around the rolling pin, lift and unroll dough, centering it in an ungreased 9-inch regular or deep-dish pie plate. (Or you can fold dough in quarters, then place dough point in center of pie pan and unfold dough, whatever is easiest for you.)
Makes 1 (9-inch) pie crust. Recipe can be doubled for a two-crust pie.

Answer 4

I must admit, I too am a great cook but pie crusts are just not my thing. I have attempted probably over 50 different pie crust recipes and they all came out horrible! Pillsbury crust is the way I go now, no more wasting ingredients for a crappy pie crust that ruins my pie. This is probably not the answer you were looking for, but if you want some tried and true recipes for crust (course they didnt work for me) go to allrecipes.com
Good luck

Answer 5

Ice water makes a HUGE difference, but don't stop there. I use ALL cold ingredients! Refridgerate your flour, salt, etc. I measure it out before hand, then put the dry ingredients in the freezer until cold. I also use a teaspoon COLD vinegar and one beaten COLD egg and add to my water when adding to flour mixture. A great pastry blender make a big difference too since you don't want to over work it.
I know this sounds silly, but cold ingredients somehow make a huge difference. I make pies every week and this was the tip of a lifetime for me!

Answer 6

Pastry for Double-Crust Pie

2c. all purpose flour
1/2tsp salt
2/3c.shortening or lard
6 to 7tbs cold water

In a mixing bowl stir together flour and salt. Cut in shortening or lard until pieces are the size of small peas. Sprinkle 1tbs of the water over part of the mixture; gentle toss with a fork. Push to side of bowl. Repeat till all is moistened. Divide dough in half into a ball.
On a lightly floured surface, flatten one ball of dough with hands. Roll dough from center to edges, forming a circle about 12 inches in diameter. Wrap pastry around rolling pin. Unroll onto a 9-inch pie plate. ease pastry into pie plate, being careful not to stretch pastry. Trim pastry even with the rim of the pie plate.
For top crust, roll remaining dough. cut slits to allow steam to escape. Fill bottom pastry in pie plate with desired filling put the top pastry on. Trim top crust 1/2 inch beyond edge of plate. Fold top crust under bottom crust; flute edge. Bake as directed in individual recipes.

This is the only recipe I use and it turns out every time.

Answer 7

Hi !!!
Here you go...NO NEED FOR A ROLLING PIN...

Easy As Pie No Roll Pie Crust

This pie crust is mixed right in the pie plate, then pressed into place. No bowl or rolling pin needed. This is only for a bottom crust for cream or custard, Dutch apple or pumpkin pies. So easy. Recipe from Mr Food.

1 9inch pie crust 25 min 10 min prep

1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup oil
2 tablespoons cold milk

Sift together flour, salt and sugar right into pie plate.
Beat together oil and milk and pour over the flour mixture.
Quickly mix with a fork just enough to moisten flour.
Press into pie plate, prick all over with a fork and bake at 425° for 15 minutes.

--------BONUS RECIPES...

Cream Cheese Tart Shells

"Cream cheese adds a deliciously rich flavor to these tart shells."

Original recipe yield:
24 shells

INGREDIENTS
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup all-purpose flour

DIRECTIONS
Blend cream cheese and butter or margarine. Stir in flour just until blended. Chill about 1 hour. This can be made ahead and chilled for up to 24 hours.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
Shape dough into 24 one-inch balls and press into ungreased 1 1/2 inch muffin cups (mini-muffin size) to make a shallow shell. Fill with your favorite filling and bake for 20 minutes, or until light brown.

-------AND, LASTLY...


Oatmeal Cookie Crust

1 1/2 cups Quaker® Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
8 tablespoons (1 stick) plus 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Spray bottom and sides of 13 x 9-inch baking pan* with cooking spray.
In large bowl, combine oats, flour, sugar, baking soda and salt; mix well. Stir in butter; mix well. Press firmly into an even layer on bottom of pan. Follow baking instructions for baking pie.
Makes enough for 1 (13 x 9-inch) crust or 2 (8 to 9-inch) crusts.

Recipe provided courtesy of The Quaker Oat Company.

Answer 8

this is the one i have used for 30 yrs.
and also my family for many generation.

The secret to great pie crust is the water must be cold.

i put water with ice cube to make it cold them measure it out

Answer 9

My sister in law makes a wonderful pie crust..She take premade sugar cookie dough and rolls it out...It is awesome. She sucks at cooking, LoL, but this is one thing she got dead on...I haven't tried it yet, but she swears by it and it does always taste great.

Answer 10

I agree with the others that Cold water makes the difference BUT I still prefer Pillsbury in the refridgerated section.