| FLAKY PIE CRUST 4 cups white flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 ½ teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon white sugar 2 cups vegetable shortening 1 egg, beaten 1 tablespoon lemon juice ½ cup ice water In a large bowl, sift dry ingredients together. Cut in shortening until it resembles coarse crumbs. Mix egg, lemon juice and ice water together and add to dry ingredients. Knead just enough to dampen flour. The less you handle the dough the more tender your crust will be. Use immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to one week. To make the pie shell, roll dough out on a lightly floured surface forming a circle about ¼ inch thick. Lift dough by folding in half and centering the half onto a pie plate. Unfold dough so it is centered in the pan. Use a knife to trim off the excess dough. Use your fingers to crimp around the edges of the dough to help fasten it to the edge of the pan. This prevents it from shrinking. If you are making crusts for puddings and fillings that will be added cold to a cooked shell you will need to take a fork and pierce the pie crust over the entire dough area including the sides of the pie pan leaving only about a quarter inch between fork pricks. This will keep the pie dough from bubbling and losing its shape by allowing the air to escape from the holes. If you are filling the crust with filling that needs to bake such as pumpkin or pecan, do not pierce the dough. |
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