Pie Crust 101
by Pam Severance
"The Country Sunshine"

With the holidays fast approaching, many of us are wondering
what we will be asked to bring to our holiday dinner--since
pumpkin pie is a holiday favorite, Pie crust 101 seems to
be an appropriate topic! Home made pie crusts have become a
rarity, similar to home baked bread. So simple are the pre-
rolled packages, or the pre-made crusts that are already in
the tin! But if you want a spectacular crust, making it
yourself is still the best way to achieve a light, flaky
crust with a wonderful flavor!

And you will find that a delicious pie crust can be
achieved, simply remember that it is not necessarily what
you put into it, as much as how you do it! Let's jump right
into it.

Here are a few tips:

One important key to making a flaky pie crust is do not
overwork the dough! This is very important! When you add
the shortening and water, toss the dough as little as
possible-this prevents the crust from getting tough, and
staying flaky.

There are many recipes for piecrust, some that call for egg,
or vinegar, or ice water. Many will produce a nice
piecrust. But sometimes the most simple recipe will give
you the best results. My favorite is as follows:

MOM'S PIECRUST

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup Crisco vegetable shortening
5-6 TBS cold water

Mix together flour and salt, cut in shortening until mixture
resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle with cold water and toss
with a fork until dough clings together. Turn out onto a
lightly floured surface, press together to form a ball, and
divide ball in half. Roll dough out using a rolling pin,
until it reaches a thickness of about 1/8 of an inch. 

Fold dough in half, then in half again. Place in pie plate
and unfold. Repeat process for second half of dough. Place
dough over filling of choice and seal the edges. Lightly
coat with whipping cream, and sprinkle with a light coating
of sugar. Bake according to recipe directions.

Remember to keep your work surface lightly floured, to
prevent your crust from sticking. A pastry cloth, or pastry
board is a great help! They still need to be floured, but
will help prevent sticking.

Using a rolling pin cover is also a tremendous help! These
are very inexpensive, and resemble a small stocking that
fits over the roller. At a cost of about 99 cents, you can't
go wrong!

To prevent a soggy bottom crust, try coating it with a small
amount of beaten egg whites. Pre-bake for 5 to 10 minutes
to seal the crust.

There you go! You are on your way to pumpkin pie heaven!
Or blueberry, or cherry, or what ever flavor is your
favorite! Just give it a try, and you will see that making
pie crust from "scratch" is not as difficult as you thought!

About the Author:
Pam Severance is the editor of Cooking with The Country
Sunshine, an online home cooking magazine. Subscribe
to their weekly newsletter to receive weekly recipes for
home cooked meals!
http://thecountrysunshine.com