Susan Craig Graverson's Family Pie Crusts

By carvalhohm

Ingredients

• Pie Crust Recipe #1:
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 3/4 cup vegetable shortening
• 6 to 7 tablespoons cold water
• Pie Crust Recipe #2:
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 8 tablespoons vegetable shortening (chilled and cut in 1/2-inch pieces)
• 12 tablespoons butter (chilled and cut in 1/4- inch pieces)
• 6 to 8 tablespoons ice water

Details

Adapted from blog.syracuse.com

Preparation

Step 1

*_Pie Crust Recipe #1:_*
Mix flour, sugar and salt. Cut in shortening with pastry blender or two knives. When shortening is mixed in to size of small peas, add cold water. Form into 2 balls, wrap in plastic wrap or waxed paper and chill for 1 hour. Roll out balls on floured board with floured rolling pin to form top and bottom crusts for pie.

*_Pie Crust Recipe #2:_*
Mix together flour, sugar and salt. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse sand. Add butter and cut in until mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Add ice water until mixture comes together to form ball. Divide into 2 dough balls, put in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour. Roll out dough balls on floured surface using floured rolling pin to form upper and lower crust for pie. Bake pie according to specific directions for type of pie you're making. I often bake a pie at 400 degrees for 1 hour, but some recipes call for 425 degrees for 15 minutes and 375 degrees for 45 minutes. I always make long strip of aluminum foil and protect fluted edges of pie because I hate burned crust, and that spot often burns before pie is done.