Pie Crust (Larger-Batch Recipe)
This recipe is for two 9" single-crust pies. If you are making just one pie, stick with the original classic recipe.
Two pies with decorations, or one double-crust pie:
4 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/3 cup shortening
3/4 cup ice water
Blend the dry ingrendients together using a dough blender (aka pastry cutter), or two knives. Add the water slowly. Form into a large ball, divide in half, and form two balls. (I weigh the dough balls on a meat scale to make sure it's equally divided.) Set aside about a quarter of each dough ball to roll out for the decorations.)
Follow the pie recipe for baking instructions.
For a baked empty pie shell, puncture crust in several
places after rolling it out and putting it in the pie pan. Bake at 450° for
12-15 min.
If you have some bacon grease, this recipe is excellent when made with bacon grease as half the amount of shortening.
If you have leftover dough, roll it out, butter the whole top, sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon, and roll it up. Cut in half or thirds, or it will be undercooked in the middle. Bake at 425° for 20 min, maybe a bit longer, depending on how thick it is — this is all a guess. Cooking on the edge, as it were. You wild thing, you.
