Light Pie Crust Recipes

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in water, a tablespoon at a time, until mixture forms a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
• Roll dough out to fit a 9 inch pie plate. Place crust in pie plate. Press the dough evenly into the bottom and sides of the pie plate.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400ºF.
• Combine flour and sugar in a large bowl or food processor. Add margarine and process, or mix together with your fingers, until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add cold water, one tablespoon at a time, and process, or mix, until a manageable dough forms; turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a 12-inch circle.
• Press dough into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie pan or removable-bottom tart pan; prick the bottom all over with a fork, cover dough with foil and fill with dried beans or rice.
• Bake 10 minutes. Remove beans and foil and bake until crust is golden brown, about 20 minutes more. Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack. Yields 8 slices per crust.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 475°F. Mix flour and salt in medium bowl. Cut in shortening, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through ingredients in opposite directions), until particles are size of small peas. Sprinkle with cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and pastry almost leaves side of bowl (1 to 2 teaspoons more water can be added if necessary).
• Gather pastry into a ball. Shape into flattened round on lightly floured surface. Wrap flattened round of pastry in plastic wrap and refrigerate about 45 minutes or until dough is firm and cold, yet pliable. This allows the shortening to become slightly firm, which helps make the baked pastry more flaky. If refrigerated longer, let pastry soften slightly before rolling.
• Roll pastry, using floured rolling pin, into circle 2 inches larger than upside-down 9-inch glass pie plate. Fold pastry into fourths; place in pie plate. Unfold and ease into plate, pressing firmly against bottom and side. Trim overhanging edge of pastry 1 inch from rim of pie plate. Fold and roll pastry under, even with plate; flute as desired. Prick bottom and side of pastry thoroughly with fork.
• Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light brown; cool on wire rack.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in water until mixture forms a ball. Divide dough in half, and shape into balls. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
• Roll out dough on a floured counter. Don't over work it. Use as directed in pie recipe.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Combine 1/4C flour, water and vinegar with a whisk until well blended.
• Combine 3/4C flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl; cut in shortening with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal.
• Add the water slurry, and toss with a fork until flour mixture is moist.
• Gently press mixture into a 4" circle on heavy-duty plastic wrap; cover with add'l wrap and roll dough into a 12" circle. Freeze for 10 minutes.
• Remove 1 sheet of plastic wrap; let stand for 1 minute or until dough is pliable. Fit dough, plastic-wrap side up, into a 9" pie plate or tart pan. Fold edges under or flute decoratively. Line bottom of dough with a piece of foil; arrange pie weights on foil.
• Bake at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes or until edge is lightly browned. Remove pie weights and foil. Cool on a wire rack.