The holiday season is upon us and one of the easiest things you can make ahead of time is pie crusts. They come together quickly and are easy to store in the freezer. Perfect for making desserts or turning leftover turkey into a delicious pot pie!
This is my go to pie crust recipe, it is flaky and tender with enough butter to be flavorful while the shortening adds structure and makes the dough freezer friendly.
Tips for a perfect flaky crust:
- Use shortening and butter, it’s the best way to create a flaky crust that holds its structure.
- Keep everything as cold as you can. Keeping the fats solidified is the key to a flaky crust. Chill your pastry cutter or the blade of the food processor.
- Be gentle when working with the dough, over working or stretching the dough will make it chewy instead of flaky. Be especially careful if you decide to use a food processor.
- Use as little of the water as you can, stop as soon as it is enough to hold the dough together.
- Chill the crust before rolling it out. Not only does it make the dough easier to work with but it will prevent the crust from shrinking and sliding down the pan while baking.
Tomorrow I will be back with a recipe that uses this crust for a Dutch Crumb Apple Pie with Cinnamon Streusel Topping!
*This recipe makes two deep dish pie crusts or three regular sized ones.
