NEVER FAIL PIE CRUST

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I’m going to teach you how to make an easy, tender, and flaky pie crust. In fact, it’s my Never Fail Pie Crust!

I'm going to teach you how to make an easy, tender, and flaky pie crust. In fact, it's my Never Fail Pie Crust! 

This truly is a Never Fail Pie Crust. My sweet Hubs gave me a food processor for our anniversary this year. I had only made a pie crust once before and, although edible, it wasn’t the best crust I’d ever eaten! That was before the food processor!

I’ll have to say, cutting the shortening and flour together in the processor makes all the difference in a pie crust. I think I just wasn’t patient enough cutting them together by hand. So, if you’ve given up on the perfect crust, give this one a try. I think you’ll be happy you did.

And, I may just have a couple of recipes coming up that you’ll need this for! (wink, wink)

This crust is flaky; the secret to a flaky crust is to have your ingredients cold and handle it as little as possible. Don’t over-process the dough, stop when it just begins to crumble. Form a ball using your hands, don’t allow it to process until it reaches the ball stage.

I have used this for sweet as well as savory pies, tarts, and hand pies. I have not tried to freeze the dough since this recipe only makes one crust, but I have had friends recommend it with great success.

Never Fail Pie Crust

Mix ingredients in the food processor.
Handle with your hands as little as possible so the ingredients stay cold.

The crust will be dry. Pull it together, quickly, using hands.

Form dough into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate.

Roll crust thin and place in pie shell, make hand pies, tarts, or whatever your creative mind can imagine!

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Never Fail Pie Crust

Never Fail Pie Crust

This crust is the easiest and best crust you will ever make. It is the perfect crust for lemon bars, tarts, pies and quiches.
Author: Paula
4.67 from 3 votes
Print Pin Rate

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Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 1 pie crust

Ingredients

  • 1 and ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter cubed
  • 5 Tablespoons shortening
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 Tablespoons ice water

Instructions

  • Cute the butter and shortening into cubes. Freeze 30 minutes beforehand.
  • With the regular blade attached, add flour. Add butter and pulse/ add shortening and pulse. The butter and shortening need to be very cold.
  • Add salt and pulse 3 times for 3 counts each time.
  • With the processor running, pour ice water into the bowl. Process just until the dough begins to get crumbly. Do not wait until it's a big clump. It will be way too moist at that point and will be tough.
  • Stop the processor and dump the dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap. Using your hands, press the dough into a ball squeezing if necessary to make it stick together.
  • Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill it about 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Roll it out on a cool surface if possible. This will prevent the fat from melting. At this point you are ready to follow your recipe for baking.

Notes

Refrigerate a minimum of 30 minutes an hour to 1 1/2 hours is better. Work as quickly as possible when roll the dough, so as to keep the fat cold. This is what makes it flaky.

Nutrition

Calories: 1650kcal | Carbohydrates: 143g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 111g | Saturated Fat: 45g | Cholesterol: 120mg | Sodium: 1177mg | Potassium: 201mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1399IU | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 9mg
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17 Comments

  1. Hi, just find this recipe here and want to try it, but here in France there’s not shortening… how can I replace it?
    Thanks!!
    Soledad

  2. What if I screwed up being all busy and put my dough in the freezer instead of the fridge? Oops its frozen!!!

  3. Pingback: Buttermilk Pie
  4. Paula, I’ve tried pie crust in a food processor and I’ve yet to master it. I think I put too much water in it. You’ve inspired me to try again….maybe for the upcoming Thanksgiving pies.

    1. I never had luck with pie crust before and I’ll have to say, I’m not confident with them so I’m very precise. I don’t find pie crusts easy to make at all and it stresses me, but when you get it right it’s so worth it. But, then, my Mom has always used the store bought crusts and no one complained 🙂

      1. I started making my pie crusts when I was 12 years old without any help and it was very hard, but I think I finally got it mastered. I am now 60 years old and I am constantly trying new pie crust recipes.

  5. Hi,
    Thanks for the recipe! I never hav unsalted butter on hand. Could I just use salted butter? I know the pros use unsalted butter, but I’m just regular..~ ha~
    Mary

    1. oh, absolutely, I forget to get un-salted all the time and use salted in this and cakes and really can’t tell that much of a difference.

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