Chill and Thrill Pie Crust

Warm temperatures are normally welcome, but not when it affects your pie crust. Chill your ingredients and equipment so you can experience the thrill of making a successful pie crust! You can become a pie crust master. 

Yield

•  four 8" one crust pies or two 8" double crust pies
•  two 9" one crust pies or one 9" double crust pie

A batch of chill and thrill pie crust can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week before using. The raw crust will appear darker, but it bakes up to a beautiful golden brown like the pie in the above picture.

Ingredients

• 4 cups of all purpose flour
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 3/4 cups cold shortening  Tip: Storing shortening in the refrigerator keeps it fresh AND it is always cold for making pie crusts. 
• 1 cold egg, well beaten
• 1 tsp. vinegar, white or cider 
• 1/2 cup ice cold water

Directions

• Sift flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder into a quart and a half bowl. If my kitchen is hot, I will place the bowl of dry ingredients in the freezer for 10-15 minutes to chill before continuing with the following step. 
• Quickly, mix in cold shortening using two cold knives, a pastry cutter, or with your hand. I prefer to mix mine with my hand. I use my fingertips.
• Add beaten egg, vinegar, and ice cold water.
• Mix well by hand with a sturdy spoon.
• Keep the pie crust tightly covered and chilled until you are ready to use it. 
• Roll the crust out on a lightly floured surface and place it into your pie pan.

I fold the crust in half , place the fold line in the middle of the pie plate, unfold the crust, and let the crust settle into place. 

• Trim the crust about 1/4 to 1/2 inch past the edge of the pie plate. The crust will shrink about 1/4 inch as it bakes. 
• Follow the baking directions for your pie recipe. 

You may need to cover the crust edge of the baking pie to keep it from over browning. 

Making a Pie Shield from Aluminum Foil

• Start with a square of aluminum foil that is about a half inch larger than your pie plate.
• Fold the square of foil in half and trim as shown above. 
• Center the pie shield over your pie. 
• Gently tuck the edges under the rim of the pie plate. 
• Take care to not get the shield too tight. You just want to prevent over browning, by keeping the crust edge lightly covered.

I always put a pie shield on my pies. I remove the pie shield for the last 15 to 20 minutes.
It is much easier to put a pie shield on a cool pie and remove it carefully from the hot pie.