Saw messages about pie crust and wanted to share this one. I've been making
this one since I was about 10 and it's always come out great.
Use lard instead of the shortening.
Sarah

Perfect Pie Crust

4 cups unsifted flour
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsps. salt
1 3/4 cups solid shortening
1 Tbsp. vinegar
1 large egg
1/2 cup water

Put first 3 ingredients in large bowl and mix well with a fork. Add
shortening and mix with fork until ingredients are crumbly. In a small bowl
beat with a fork the egg, vinegar and water. Combine the two mixtures and
form into 5 portions. Wrap each in plastic bag and chill at least 1/2 hour.
Roll as with any crust.

Sarah Merchant wrote:
>
> Saw messages about pie crust and wanted to share this one. I've been making
> this one since I was about 10 and it's always come out great.
> Use lard instead of the shortening.
> Sarah
>
> Perfect Pie Crust
>
> 4 cups unsifted flour
> 1 Tbsp. sugar
> 2 tsps. salt
> 1 3/4 cups solid shortening
> 1 Tbsp. vinegar
> 1 large egg
> 1/2 cup water
>
> Put first 3 ingredients in large bowl and mix well with a fork. Add
> shortening and mix with fork until ingredients are crumbly. In a small bowl
> beat with a fork the egg, vinegar and water. Combine the two mixtures and
> form into 5 portions. Wrap each in plastic bag and chill at least 1/2 hour.
> Roll as with any crust.

I see eggs and vinegar -- what do these to that help make it perfect?
Do they ad fluffiness. etc?

thanks,
theresa

theresa > wrote in
:

>
>
> Sarah Merchant wrote:
>>
>> Saw messages about pie crust and wanted to share this one. I've been
>> making this one since I was about 10 and it's always come out great.
>> Use lard instead of the shortening.
>> Sarah
>>
>> Perfect Pie Crust
>>
>> 4 cups unsifted flour
>> 1 Tbsp. sugar
>> 2 tsps. salt
>> 1 3/4 cups solid shortening
>> 1 Tbsp. vinegar
>> 1 large egg
>> 1/2 cup water
>>
>> Put first 3 ingredients in large bowl and mix well with a fork. Add
>> shortening and mix with fork until ingredients are crumbly. In a
>> small bowl beat with a fork the egg, vinegar and water. Combine the
>> two mixtures and form into 5 portions. Wrap each in plastic bag and
>> chill at least 1/2 hour. Roll as with any crust.
>
> I see eggs and vinegar -- what do these to that help make it perfect?
> Do they ad fluffiness. etc?
>
> thanks,
> theresa
>

I'm not the OP, but the eggs and vinegar help to add tenderness and
flakiness. Similar recipes are entitled "Foolproof Pie Crust" because
they can be worked more without making them tough.

Wayne

Any pointers on some "perfect" graham cracker pie crust. I am going
to be making a nice cheese cake custard pie and would like to make my
own crust if its worth the effort.

Wayne Boatwright > wrote in message >...
> theresa > wrote in
> :
>
> >
> >
> > Sarah Merchant wrote:
> >>
> >> Saw messages about pie crust and wanted to share this one. I've been
> >> making this one since I was about 10 and it's always come out great.
> >> Use lard instead of the shortening.
> >> Sarah
> >>
> >> Perfect Pie Crust
> >>
> >> 4 cups unsifted flour
> >> 1 Tbsp. sugar
> >> 2 tsps. salt
> >> 1 3/4 cups solid shortening
> >> 1 Tbsp. vinegar
> >> 1 large egg
> >> 1/2 cup water
> >>
> >> Put first 3 ingredients in large bowl and mix well with a fork. Add
> >> shortening and mix with fork until ingredients are crumbly. In a
> >> small bowl beat with a fork the egg, vinegar and water. Combine the
> >> two mixtures and form into 5 portions. Wrap each in plastic bag and
> >> chill at least 1/2 hour. Roll as with any crust.
> >
> > I see eggs and vinegar -- what do these to that help make it perfect?
> > Do they ad fluffiness. etc?
> >
> > thanks,
> > theresa
> >
>
> I'm not the OP, but the eggs and vinegar help to add tenderness and
> flakiness. Similar recipes are entitled "Foolproof Pie Crust" because
> they can be worked more without making them tough.
>
> Wayne

On 21 Oct 2003 14:12:52 -0700
(Darla Benoit) wrote:

> Any pointers on some "perfect" graham cracker pie crust. I am going
> to be making a nice cheese cake custard pie and would like to make my
> own crust if its worth the effort.


What's your measure of 'perfect' with a graham cracker crust?

The store-bought crusts are nothing more than powdered graham cracker
pressed into cheap pans. I don't really consider them a valid pie
carrier, since it always seems to still be in powder form when it gets
served.

I like it thick and sturdy, almost cookie-like. I like it to be able to
offer structural support to the pie. But I'm fully aware that not
everybody has the same criteria i do.

In any case, the graham crackers should not be completely broken - you
should still have chunks up to the size of say a dime. the butter
content and sugar content varies by who you ask.

Exactly as you said, crispy, firm, and able to hold its own. Those
store boughts are just not very good. Thanks for any tips.

Eric Jorgensen > wrote in message >. ..
> On 21 Oct 2003 14:12:52 -0700
> (Darla Benoit) wrote:
>
> > Any pointers on some "perfect" graham cracker pie crust. I am going
> > to be making a nice cheese cake custard pie and would like to make my
> > own crust if its worth the effort.
>
>
> What's your measure of 'perfect' with a graham cracker crust?
>
> The store-bought crusts are nothing more than powdered graham cracker
> pressed into cheap pans. I don't really consider them a valid pie
> carrier, since it always seems to still be in powder form when it gets
> served.
>
> I like it thick and sturdy, almost cookie-like. I like it to be able to
> offer structural support to the pie. But I'm fully aware that not
> everybody has the same criteria i do.
>
> In any case, the graham crackers should not be completely broken - you
> should still have chunks up to the size of say a dime. the butter
> content and sugar content varies by who you ask.

On 21 Oct 2003 14:12:52 -0700, (Darla Benoit)
wrote:

>Any pointers on some "perfect" graham cracker pie crust. I am going
>to be making a nice cheese cake custard pie and would like to make my
>own crust if its worth the effort.
>
Yes, crush 16 graham crackers with a rolling pin. Put in a bowl with
1/4 cup melted butter and a couple TBS of sugar. Mix with a forked and
press onto the sides and bottom of the pan. Bake about 10 minutes
before filling.

I don't know what makes it "perfect" but it works really well.

On 10/19/03 9:13 AM, in article , "theresa"
> wrote:

>
> I see eggs and vinegar -- what do these to that help make it perfect?
> Do they ad fluffiness. etc?
>
> thanks,
> theresa

You don't even need to bake the crust first. I just put mine in the fridge
to chill while I mix the cheesecake ingredients.

"jammer" > wrote in message
...
> On 21 Oct 2003 14:12:52 -0700, (Darla Benoit)
> wrote:
>
> >Any pointers on some "perfect" graham cracker pie crust. I am going
> >to be making a nice cheese cake custard pie and would like to make my
> >own crust if its worth the effort.
> >
> Yes, crush 16 graham crackers with a rolling pin. Put in a bowl with
> 1/4 cup melted butter and a couple TBS of sugar. Mix with a forked and
> press onto the sides and bottom of the pan. Bake about 10 minutes
> before filling.

On Wed, 22 Oct 2003 21:00:37 -0500
"Rick Emery" > wrote:

> You don't even need to bake the crust first. I just put mine in the
> fridge to chill while I mix the cheesecake ingredients.

Well, it probably depends.

For cheesecake baked right on the rack, you probably need not pre-bake
the crust.

For cheesecake baked in a water bath, you maybe ought to bake the
crust a little first.

For something like a key lime pie where the baking of the pie itself
is largely ceremonial (15 minutes), pre-baking the crust is pretty much
required.

That would be a matter of preference and we prefer ours baked off a
bit.


On Wed, 22 Oct 2003 21:00:37 -0500, "Rick Emery"
> wrote:

>You don't even need to bake the crust first. I just put mine in the fridge
>to chill while I mix the cheesecake ingredients.
>
>"jammer" > wrote in message
.. .
>> On 21 Oct 2003 14:12:52 -0700, (Darla Benoit)
>> wrote:
>>
>> >Any pointers on some "perfect" graham cracker pie crust. I am going
>> >to be making a nice cheese cake custard pie and would like to make my
>> >own crust if its worth the effort.
>> >
>> Yes, crush 16 graham crackers with a rolling pin. Put in a bowl with
>> 1/4 cup melted butter and a couple TBS of sugar. Mix with a forked and
>> press onto the sides and bottom of the pan. Bake about 10 minutes
>> before filling.
>