Happy Pi Day! Two days late. Oh well. I had good intentions, and since I have never been good at math, it seems fitting that I would celebrate Pi Day a little late. 🙂
Pie crusts can be rather intimidating, you know? Handling the dough too much can make your pie crust tough, something I have a tendency to mess up on. I can never get it right on the first attempt at rolling it out. Then there’s the issue of butter vs. lard vs. oil. I also read you can use coconut oil (so does pie count as a superfood then?). Sometimes it’s just easier to forget the controversy and head to Aldi and pick up a package of pie crusts for $1.49.However, I really would like to be able to tackle The Crust. So today, in honor of Pi Day (two days ago), I decided to attempt a crust recipe that looked doable, albeit a tad strange (vinegar in pie crust. Huh.)
Here are the ingredients for the crust: apple cider vinegar, baking powder, flour, salt, egg, ice water, and for this recipe, lard.
Mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. So far so good.
Cut your lard or butter into your dry ingredients until it looks like coarse crumbs. I can handle this, kind of like making biscuits!
Then whisk together the egg, water, and vinegar in a separate bowl. But use a bigger bowl than I did.
Slowly mix your wet ingredients into the dry.
Mix until the dough holds together well and then divide it into two portions, wrap them each in plastic wrap, and then refrigerate for at least an hour.
Whew! That was easy, right? So now when you’re ready to make your pie, pull it out of the fridge and let it sit for a few minutes to warm up on a lightly floured surface.
And then start rolling. Wish me luck!
This dough is a little difficult to work with…
And rather difficult to roll up. Blast it all.
Well, that was frustrating. But good enough for now. Maybe I didn’t let it warm up enough?
I think I have yet to get this whole pie crust thing down. I might try again in the future though! If you want to try your hand at this crust, here is the full recipe:
Pie Crust
makes enough for a two-crust pie
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup lard
1 whole egg
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
7-8 tablespoons ice water
Mix the flour, salt, and baking powder together. Cut in the lard until it resembles course crumbs. In a separate bowl, combine your wet ingredients. Slowly mix the wet into the dry. When the dough comes together, divide it into two, wrap each in plastic wrap, and set it in your fridge for at least an hour. When you’re ready to use, let the dough warm up for 10 to 15 minutes before you roll it out.
Good luck! And if you have any tips or tricks on crust making or maybe even a better crust recipe, just let me know in the comments.
Looks like you and I wrestle with pie crust much in the same way. My family is nice though and they eat my inadequate attempts. Ha ha. Yours looks like it came out much nicer than most I have ever attempted to make; mine have been far less pretty than yours. I think pie crust making is some or art form LOL.
Hi Jennifer! Thanks for stopping by. And you are right – crust making is definitely an art form!
I also wanted to add I really like that rolling pin. Also what sort of pie did you end up making?
It was my grandma’s pecan pie! I forgot to mention that, but it will be a followup post hopefully soon. And edited to add, my husband got the rolling pin for me at Walmart! I think it might have been a Rachael Ray design.