Pie Crust

My Grandma Gondring taught me to make her pie crust when I was still in middle school. The recipe she wrote out for me at my request when I was still in high school is pretty beat-up. Unfortunately, I never put it in a plastic sleeve, so it quite literally wears the remnants of many my pie-making adventures, from pumpkin, to apple, to lemon meringue, to mince, to cherry, to blueberry, and on and on. Not to mention a fine coat of flour and a drop or two of oil. And even though I committed her recipe to my memory many pies ago, I cannot bring myself to throw away this tattered slip. There is something about having this well-worn recipe written in her handwriting that makes it special to me. At Christmastime I asked her to write it out for me again, but even when I get the new, immaculate version, I don't plan to toss the original. I know I'm probably biased, but even though I've tested several different pie crust recipes, I still think this one is the best. The number one reason to use this recipe is because the crust is absolutely delicious. It's flaky without falling apart. It's flavorful without being overly oily. Plus, its versatile. The number two reason to use this recipe is because it's really pretty easy. My sweet grandma has congratulated me a number on a pie well made, to which I reply "I had a good teacher."

Pie Crust
Majora "Jo" Gondring [Grandma Gondring]

Makes one pie crust.

In a medium bowl combine:
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
Add:
3/4 cup vegetable oil
Use a large fork to mix thoroughly.
Add:
1/4 cup cold water
Stir until well blended.

Roll out dough between two sheets of lightly floured wax paper. Flip into pie pan. Trim excess dough with a sharp knife. Flute or crimp edges. [For tips on how to make special edge on a pie crust, click here.]

Some pie recipes will have you fill the pie before the crust is cooked whereas others will have you cook the crust first. Refer to individual recipes.