:: The Crust ::
2 2/3 c. un-bleached flour
1 tsp. salt
1 c. crisco
8 Tbsp. ice water
In a small bowl combine flour, salt and crisco. Use a fork to mash in the crisco but make sure to leave chunks to create a lighter, flakier crust. Add the ice water and work between your hands to create the dough. Separate half of the dough and mold into a ball. {note: the other half of the dough could be used as a pie top if needed. Otherwise, why not just make a second pie with it?!}
Flour a dry surface and begin rolling crust with a rolling pin. Flip and re-flour surface and crust continually until it's about 1/4 inch thick. Fold crust in half and place on one side of a 9 inch pie dish. Fold over covering the entire dish making sure there's no air between the crust and the sides of the dish. Using your thumbs, press the top edge of the crust into the top edge of the dish. Trim excess using a paring knife. {*Don't throw those scraps away! They'll make for some good pie crust yummies! See below.}
pie crust dough scraps
melted butter
cinnamon and sugar
Re-flour your surface and roll out your crust scraps. Cut into desired shapes using cookie cutters and place on an un-greased cookie sheet. Brush yummies with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. {Hey Mom! Remember the cinnamon and sugar pig?} I recommend a higher sugar to cinnamon ratio as there's no sweetening in the crust mixture.
Enjoy!
P.S. Cooper loves pie too!
