Pie Crust

So the steering team decided it would be fun to make pie crusts at our first Mom's Connection meeting this year.  Since I'm in charge of crafts, the project fell into my lap.  After much figuring, I made it work.  We made Crisco crusts according to Clelda's recipe, sort of.  After making about 8 pies in a month, I've pretty much figured out the basic theory for the Crisco crust.

2 cups flour plus 2/3 cup for rolling
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup very cold Crisco
6-10 Tablespoons cold water

Using your hands for all the mixing...combine 2 cups flour and 1 t salt.  Then add the Crisco and combine to a peasized crumb - don't over mix.  Then add 6 T water to start and mix.  You will likely need more - dough should be a little sticky but mostly sticking to itself and no longer sticking to your fingers.

Split dough roughly in half.  You want slightly more for the bottom crust than the top crust.  Put 1/3 cup flour in the middle of the counter, then dough and fold dough a couple times.  Roll from the center out until about 2 inches larger than the pie pan.  Put crust in the bottom of the pan and repeat the procedure for the top crust.

Bake at 425 for 10 minutes, then drop to 350 for the remainder of the fruit pie recipe time (about 50 minutes)

I want to try a butter crust and see how that works.  I also found an intriguing Boiling Hot Water crust in my Amish cookbook that I want to try too.