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Pie Crust
My mom's pies were legendary, especially her apple pies. And she was such a sweetheart . . . she'd make one specially
for Bill every time she knew we were coming to San Diego to visit, and she'd make it so that it was coming out of the oven the minute
we walked in the door so we could eat it piping hot.
Mom made pies as easily as we make toast. She made huge pies on huge aluminum sheet pans because her pies were so delicious that one
little 9-inch pie would have been devoured the minute it came out of the oven with nothing left over for later, and what's the point!
Mom's pies were so big it took 4 batches of this pie crust recipe to make one pie which managed to last for 4 or 5 days. Sometimes
(smile).
This is Mom's recipe for two 9-inch pie crusts, one for the top and one for the bottom.
2-1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 stick plain unflavored Crisco
1/2 cup water
Tear off 4 large pieces of parchment paper and set them aside.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
In a large plastic mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt and sugar, and mix really well.
Add the Crisco and mix with a plain table fork until most but not all of the Crisco is in large pea-sized
lumps. When the crust is baked, the lumps of shortening melt and leave tiny pockets of air and that's what makes the crust
flaky.
Now sprinkle the water over the top and mix until most but not all of the flour is combined. If anything, under-
rather than over-mix at this stage because over-mixing is what makes the pie crust tough and heavy. Don't worry about any flour
that gets left behind, you'll pick it up in the next step.
Put half of the mixture onto one piece of parchment paper. Gently pat the dough into a flat circle about the size of a salad plate,
picking up the flour that hasn't been mixed in. It's easier to roll the dough out when it's semi-shaped rather than in a
ball.
Cover the dough with a second piece of parchment paper. I hang one long side just barely over the edge of the counter and lean on
it to anchor it. Roll out the dough using quick hard strokes, turning the parchment paper as you go, until you have about a 11-inch
circle. Don't worry too much about the size or an uneven shape.
Gently pull off the top piece of parchment paper, turn the dough over, and center it on top of the pie plate. Gently pull off the
second piece of parchment paper, and gently help the dough sink down into bottom of the pie plate. Don't push it down with
your fingers, just help it to ease itself down.
That's how you make the bottom crust. Make the top crust the same way.
To make a pie:
Fill the bottom crust with fruit or berries or veggies or meat or whatever.
Lay the second crust on top of the filled pie. Using the tips of your fingers, fold the edges of both pieces of the the dough inward,
then crimp them with your fingers to seal them.
Optional: In a little bowl or cup, mix 1/4 cup of milk with one teaspoon of mayonnaise. Brush the top of the crust with the
milk/mayonnaise mixture. You don't have to use it up, just discard whatever's left over. This coating will give the pie crust a nice
glossy shine when it's done.
Poke quite a few holes in the top of the pie to let the filling breathe. This
helps to keep the filling from spilling out of the top and the edges while baking.
Cover the whole pie with foil and bake it at 375 degrees for 30-45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake it for another 15 minutes. Watch it
closely so that the edges don't get too brown
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