Mrs. Alder's Pie Crust

Name: Mrs. Alder's Pie Crust
Ingredients: 3/4 cup Crisco shortening; 1 Tbsp milk; 1/4 cup hot water; 2 cups all-purpose flour; 1 tsp salt

5 ingredients•7 steps

1
With a fork or food processor, blend shortening, milk, and hot water together until they make a smooth liquid.
2
Blend or sift flour and salt together.
3
Add dry ingredients to liquid and blend well without overworking.
4
Collect into a smooth ball of dough.
5
Roll into a thick disk, wrap with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes (or overnight) for better working consistency.
6
Roll flat and shape into pie crust.
7
If pre-baking the crust, prick well with a fork once it's in the pie pan.

💡 Cook's Notes

**Alternative method:** 1 cup flour, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/3 cup Crisco, 1/4 cup ice water. Sift flour and salt together. Cut in the shortening with a pastry cutter until mixture resembles cornmeal. Add enough ice water to get dough to hold together. Gather into ball, flatten into a disk, wrap well with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 1-24 hours. **Pro tip for cold butter:** The night before, grate butter with a cheese grater and spread over a large plate, then place in the freezer. This maximizes the coldness of the butter when working with it. **Ice-cold water trick:** Two hours before working with dough, dissolve 3 teaspoons of salt in one cup of water and place in freezer. The salt water will reach temperatures well below 32°F without freezing.