Grandma’s Pie Crust

We are a pie-making family. It has always been so.

January rolls into February, and I miss holiday pies. Not just pies, but also the family and memories and savory foods that come with them.

This recipe is my Grandma Stewart’s. I love claiming her as kin. She is the very sort of matron that I wish to become. Aside from giving squeezy hugs and making large-portioned dinners, Grandma is KIND.

Grandma called me today, just to say that she loves me and she has been thinking of me. Conversations and letters with Grandma are peppered with compliments. “I love you,” she says. “I am proud of you.” “You’ve accomplished so much, my dear.” “Your girls are darlings.” Does it sound cheesy on paper? Not out loud. Grandma says all of the things that I crave to hear, and she says them sincerely.

This is called “Grandma’s No-fail Pie recipe,” but you should know that it isn’t really no-fail. My sister once read “cup” instead of “Tbsp,” which resulted in six times more sugar than the recipe called for. It was actually quite good until we used the leftovers for a meat pie. So yes, you can fail.

Also, we use lard. That’s right, rendered fat from a pig. Appalling? No, no, no. It gives it a lovely flake.

I don’t know whether Grandma used lard or whether that was an innovation of Mom’s, but I love it. You can use shortening if the lard frightens you.

Happy January, dear heart.

Grandma's No-Fail Pie Crust

Our go-to pastry crust, from Grandma Stewart’s kitchen.
Prep Time30 minutes
Chill Time2 hours
Total Time2 hours 30 minutes
Course: Dessert
Keyword: Pie

Ingredients

  • 4 C flour
  • tsp salt
  • 2 Tbsp sugar
  • C lard or shortening
  • 1 Tbsp vinegar
  • 1 egg beaten
  • 1-4 Tbsp ice water (see notes)

Instructions

  • In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, and sugar. Use your hands or a pastry cutter to add the lard. Mix until coarse crumbs form.
  • Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add egg, vinegar, and 1 Tbsp cold water. Mix together. Add enough additional water to form a slightly sticky dough.
  • Divide dough into 3-4 portions and shape each into a disk. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours before rolling out.
  • Remove from refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before rolling out on a floured surface. (Dough should be soft enough to roll out but not so soft that it becomes sticky). Makes three small or two large double-crusted pies.

Notes

We usually just put a small bowl of water in the freezer when we start baking. By the time we need it, the water is well chilled.
Dough can be frozen for several months. Place plastic-wrapped disks in a heavy-duty Ziploc bag for freezing. Remove from freezer and thaw to room temperature before rolling it out.

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Jenny Harris
Jenny is a star-gazing, book-clubbing mother of two. She has a Master’s degree in Human Development and Family Studies, which is mildly comical (but also a boon in parenting and relationships). Her kids will attest that she’s crazy about reading aloud, time out of doors, and creative play. Her family’s goal is the “abundant life,” as prescribed by Jesus. You can read more posts by Jenny here.

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0 Responses

  1. 5 stars
    Que the background music from “Fiddler On The Roof.” Tradition! Tradition!
    Three generations of delicious pies so far and many more to go. Mmmmmm.

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