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Mom’s Best Pastry Pie Crust

slice of cranberry apple pie with ice cream
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This pie crust recipe with vinegar is the one my mom used for as long as I can remember. The vinegar makes it light and flaky, and the egg makes it a little more elastic and easier to roll. 

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1 cup lard or palm shortening, or half butter/half lard, cold
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3–5 tbsp cold water
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon vinegar

Instructions

  1. Cut together flour and lard with a pastry blender or pulse in food processor to form pea sized bits.
  2. Mix together salt, 3 tablespoons water, egg and vinegar. Cut wet mix into flour mixture with a fork to form a dough. Add more water if needed.
  3. Divide, shape into disks and chill. Use a rolling pin to roll out between two sheets of wax paper or on a pastry cloth.

To Blind Bake (Bake Without Filling)

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F. 
  2. Roll out pastry and fit into pie pan. Use a fork to poke small holes in bottom of pie crust.
  3. Place a sheet of wax paper in crust, weighted down with dried beans or pie weights, to keep crust from puffing up.
  4. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove pie weight and bake until lightly browned, about 5-7 minutes more.
  5. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack.

Notes

This recipe makes enough for 3-4 for crusts, depending on how thick you roll the dough. It can be made ahead and refrigerated or frozen.

Find it online: https://commonsensehome.com/pie-crust-recipes/