Never-Fail Pie Crust

In the long, long ago there were no frozen pie crusts from the grocery store.  Since pie, almost any kind, is one of my favorite foods, I made many attempts to produce my own, topped off with the time I made, let me rephrase, attempted to make a pecan pie for my extended family's Thanksgiving dinner.

 You could buy a box of pie dough mix back then.  I diligently followed the directions, rolling the dough out on the counter, scraping the dough off the rolling pin back onto the counter, rolling again, scraping from the rolling pin again, then scraping the dough from the counter to the pie pan where it lay like a well-traveled gravel road:  bare pan in some places, lumps in others.  I flattened & pulled it to some semblance of a crust, then filled the pan with the pecan pie mixture, laden with brown sugar and Karo syrup. It smelled yummy and it wasn't even cooked yet.  We could hardly wait.  Then I promptly tipped the pan just as I was getting to the oven and poured the whole thing down into the the two-inch gap between the stove and the refrigerator.   It was a few years before I presumed to go down that road again.

Then my sister bought a farm in the country.  She and her kids picked loads of blackberries and she loaded her freezer with blackberry cobblers.  They were fabulous.  The crusts, specifically, were terrific.  Here is the recipe she got from the farm ladies who were her neighbors.

............................................................Never-Fail Pie Crust..........................................................

4 cups flour                                          1 Tbsp vinegar
1 Tbsp sugar                                         1 Large Egg
2  tsp salt                                             1/2 cup cold water
1 3/4 cups Crisco

Mix first 3 ingredients in a large bowl with a fork.  Add shortening and mix till crumbly. (use 2 knives to cut it or a pastry cutter)  In a small bowl beat together vinegar, egg, water. (I put the water in the freezer during the time it takes to get everything together, just to get it really cold.)  Combine the two mixtures, stirring with a fork till all ingredients are moistened.

Wrap in plastic wrap.  Divide the dough into 6 or 7 portions, wrap individual portions in plastic and chill  at least 1/2 hour.  Can be stored in refrigerator 3 days or frozen.

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The flavor of the crust is from the recipe but the ease of construction comes from using a pastry cloth and rolling pin cover.  They come in a set; available at Wal-Mart or a home good store.  Flour the cloth, roll out the pastry on it & then lift the rolled out dough, with your hand under the cloth, fold into half, then quarters.  You can then lay the dough into the pie pan and unfold.  No more dough stuck to the counter or the rolling pin.  Add your filling & go for it.  Just don't blame me when you eat half the pie before anybody gets home.  Oh, wait; that was me.  You probably have more self-control.