Mamas Pie Crust Recipes

Steps:

• Cook fruit in water until tender. Drain and mix with sugar and margarine. Mash well. Refrigerate overnight if possible. Roll out homemade piecrust dough and cut into saucer-sized circles.
• Spoon fruit onto circles and fold over into crescent shapes, then close the edges completely with a fork. Fry until golden brown. Place fried pies on paper towels to absorb excess oil.
• Variations: For baked pies, place crescents on a lightly-greased baking sheet in a 400 degree oven until golden brown.
• For apple pies, use dried apples and add apple pie spice (or nutmeg and cinnamon) and vanilla to taste.
• For prune pies, use dry, pitted prunes and add vanilla to taste.
• Place the flour and a dash of salt in a mixing bowl. Add the shortening and cut it in with a pastry blender or use your hands, as I do. Add the water, a teaspoon at a time, kneading until the dough is smooth.

Steps:

• 1. Measure flour& salt into large mixing bowl.With pastry mixer cut the shortening into the flour & salt until the mixture resembles cornmeal. Add ice water,a little at a time,mixing it into the dough until it starts to come together.Try not to over mix,because it can make the crust tough. Divide the dough in half into 2 balls. It makes a 8 or 9 inch double crust pie or 2 single crust pies. I've never had it to fail. You can use it right away or refrigerate for 2-3 days. Fruit pies generally cook in an hour or so; other pies/quiches,etc.,will have various cooking times depending on the recipe.

Steps:

• 1. In a large bowl, mix together flour, salt, and sugar until well combined. Using clean hands or pastry cutter, add butter and toss until just coated. Cut butter into flour mixture until butter is in butterbean sized pieces and comes together in 1 inch clumps when squeezed, about 2 minutes. Add shortening, toss until just coated in flour, then rub into flour mixture until mixture forms pea-size pieces (some big chunks should remain) and comes together in fist-sized clumps when squeezed, about 1 minute.
• 2. Drizzle in half ice water and rake through mixture with fingers until just moistened. Drizzle in remaining water 1 tablespoon at a time and comb through mixture with fingers to moisten. It will go from being grizzly sticky mess to coming together. Dough is moist enough when it is moistened through but is not wet when pressed.
• 3. Lord don't mash the dough to death or it will be tougher than an ex con. Gather into a ball. Turn dough onto a piece of plastic wrap, press it into a flat disk, then close in wrap. Place in coldest part of refrigerator (usually back bottom shelf) at least 30 minutes before rolling out and forming into a crust.
• 4. If it seems to be a bit warmer than it should when rolling, stop, put everything in the fridge for about 15 minutes. Then start again.

Steps:

• Cut the butter into 1/2-inch (13-mm) cubes. Freeze 5 Tbsp. (70 grams) for 20 minutes or overnight; chill the remaining 1 1/8 sticks in the refrigerator until ready to use.
• Stir the red wine vinegar into the cold water and set aside.
• Combine the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor and pulse 5 or 6 times to combine.
• Add the chilled butter and mix for 25 to 30 seconds, until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
• Add the frozen butter and pulse 15 to 20 times, until the butter is in pea-sized pieces.
• Add 6 tablespoons of the vinegar water and pulse 6 times. The dough should start to look crumbly. Test the dough by squeezing a small amount in the palm of your hand. If it easily holds together, it is done. If not, add 1/2 Tbsp. of the vinegar water and pulse 3 more times. Repeat this process as needed until the dough holds together.
• Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead together until smooth; dough should never come together in the food processor.
• Divide the dough into 2 equal parts and roll each into a ball. Flatten the balls slightly and wrap separately in plastic wrap. Let the dough rest in the refrigerator until ready to use, at least 20 minutes but preferably overnight.

Steps:

• Combine flour and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer. Cut butter into tablespoon pieces; add it to the flour and butter. Use the paddle beater to cut the butter and flour together. Alternatively, this can be done by hand with a pastry blender.
• With the mixer on low speed , or while stirring the mixture with a fork, pour in the cold water. When the dough starts to clump, and before it turns into a ball, stop stirring.
• Lightly knead dough in the bowl until it forms a ball. Divide dough into two parts. Flatten each part into a disk, and chill for about 30 minutes before rolling.