Last weekend when I didn’t feel so good, I dozed through a pie contest on Food Network show. Ever since then, I’ve had a compulsion to make a pie. It’s funny, because I don’t really like pie, but I’ve always wanted to make a kick-butt pie crust. In my Martha-Stewart-worship days, I tried to make the purist flour/butter/ice water kind, but would freak out about not adding too much water (lest it be tough) and wound up with a pile of dust. Then Alton Brown had to come along a few years later and make crust with flour/lard (yuck)/shortening/and ice water sprayed onto the dough with a dinosaur spray bottle. I’d try – again using too little water – and would end up with a pile of unrollable dust. You’re a big fat liar, Alton Brown, but I still love you.
My mom makes awesome pie crust, and though I’ve asked her for the recipe a dozen times, I never actually made it. So, being too embarrassed to ask her yet again, I looked on the internet for one with egg and vinegar. This turned out pretty good, but Mom – if you’re reading this – please post your recipe. Thanks! I promise I’ll never ask again!
3 cups of flour, 1 1/2 cups of shortening, 1/2 tsp. salt. Cut shortening into flour & salt. In a cup, mix 1 egg, 1 Tbsp vinegar, 5 Tbsp of cool water.  Mix, chill a while, roll.  (Looking back, I think I would have added a little sugar.)
That is the coolest rolling pin ever…who cares about the pie when you can have neet gadgets!!
My favorite pie crust recipe is:
1. Go to the store and get a Pillsbury pie crust.
2. Open the box.
You forgot “from the clearance aisle!”
I think you pretty much have the basic recipe for pie crust listed. Except for the vinegar part.
Mine is flour, salt, shortening & water. When making an apple pie, I sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top of the crust before baking. I have a different recipe for crust when making a pot pie. Pillsbury loose pie crust works good too. The kind you have to add water to & roll out. Hey, where’s the picture of the cooked pie????
I’m definitely with Christina on the gadgets. Mine is wood, and I’m always concerned that germs are going to get stuck in there.
I’ve been trying for several years to make good pie crust. I usually end up saying bad words, so my kids now know to send me peaceful thoughts whenever I try again.
I had a FANTASTIC pie with a lard crust when I visited Theressa (from SP) a few weeks ago. Her very cool hiker-gal friend brought it, and the first thing I asked was what kind of fat she used. Was it shortening which is easier to work with or butter which tastes better. She looked at me a little sheepishly, wondering whether she should tell me the truth and then admitted it was lard. Well, I think that’s what my grandma used, and her crusts were AWESOME.
I don’t know where to get it, so I’m taking Brad’s route and buying a Pillsbury one. Then I don’t introduce the kids to my former potty-mouth.
I too am not a big fan of pies but it’s been stuck in my brain to bake one. SO I finally broke down and did it. The crust was aweful to make and I’ll probably never do it again(except maybe for pies in a jar but definitly never again after that). I couldnt even roll it out it was so sticky and got on everything too much water I guess. I had to ball it up and just form it to my pan.
In the end I got so upset I just added way to much flour to make it stay together. The end product was a not-to-bad-tasting apple pie even though the crust wasnt the best. I’ll try your vinigar recipe next time.