Making Pie Crust

First you assemble the ingredients. I like using Butter Flavored Crisco for my crust.

Mix the flour and salt, then cut in the shortening with a pastry blender.

Keep working until the shortening is in pea sized chunks

Get a cup of ice water to use for the next step

Add a tablespoon of water at a time, and mix it into the dough with a fork. As the water gets mixed in, move around the bowl, mixing water into the dough

As the water gets mixed in, move around the bowl, mixing water into the dough

Keep working around the bowl until all the dough is moistened. It will just be starting to form a dough ball, but you want it clumpy at this stage (be careful not to add too much water)

Take your hands and knead the dough, just enough so that it forms a ball.

Divide the dough if needed (I am making two crusts here) and form a flattened circle with your hands

Dust the rolling surface with some flour, spreading it with your fingers.

Lay the circle on the flour, giving it a half turn and flipping it over, and turning it again (this will spread a bit of flour on both sides. Then start to roll it out.

If it starts to stick, spread a small amount of flour on the dough and turn in over. Only use enough flour to keep if from sticking to the surface of the table. If you seem to have a lot of trouble with the dough sticking, that means you added too much water in the mixing stage.

Keep rolling until the circle is big enough for the pie plate.

Fold the dough in half, then in half again and lay it gently in the pie plate

Carefully unfold it and hold up the edges while easing it into the bottom of the plate. Be careful not to stretch the dough, as it may shrink back up and create hollow spots between the dough and plate.

If needed, pinch the edges to make a fluted edge

Using the back of a fork, cut the excess dough by making short strokes with the fork along the edge of the pie plate.

I’m making baked pies, so I didn’t prick these. Here is the crust ready for filling

Here is a double crust pie ready for the oven, and a tray of scraps sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar.

And here are the finished pies. Apple and Custard.

Hmmm – now what should we have to drink with our pie?