Marcia Benedict's pie recipe printer-friendly version

This crust is flaky, tender, delicious, and very easy to make, which is why it's been in our family for 50 years or so. I've actually never had a pie crust in a restaurant or bakery that I liked anywhere near as much. Treat yourself & your family by making a pie today!

One crust 1 2/3 c. flour 1 tsp. salt 1/3 c. vegetable oil 3 Tbs. milk

Two crusts 2 c. flour 1 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 c. vegetable oil 1/4 c. milk

Get the work area ready by tearing 2 large squares of waxed paper off the roll (4 squares if you are making top & bottom crusts). Also set out a knife, a fork, the rolling pin, and the pie pan.

In a medium mixing bowl, mix flour and salt. Add oil and milk. Stir about a dozen times. With your hands, pick up dough & form a ball (or 2, for top & bottom crusts). Do not overhandle. Roll out each ball between two sheets of waxed paper. Each time you roll, start near the center & press down firmly. Then turn the paper and roll again. Repeat until crust is big enough.

One crust: Peel off top sheet of paper. Pick up bottom sheet of paper by one edge, letting paper and crust hang vertically. Quickly invert into pie plate; slowly peel off second sheet of paper. Trim edges and crimp with fingers or fork. Prick with fork. For most recipes, you'll need to prebake this for about ten minutes at 350 degrees. You do not need pie weights.

Two crusts: Place the bottom crust into the pie pan as described above, but do not trim or crimp the edges yet. Pour filling into crust. Add the top crust. Then trim the crusts and crimp the edges together with fingers or a fork. Slit the top to vent steam.

Tip: When you first make this recipe, make an extra half batch. The edges of the crust tend to be messy; by making extra crust, you'll find it's easier to get a good looking result. And you can always bake the leftover bits with jam for the chef's personal consumption. Nobody need know.