Happy Holidays! I wasn’t quite sure how I was going to show alls y’all my Thanksgiving recipes.  So I am keeping it zesty, of course, and will be cooking  it with my parents this year to really give you a slice my Thanksgiving menu – one post at a time.  Sorry folks, aroma vision is not included. However, the next best thing is that you don’t have to miss out.  Most of the upcoming dishes will be great for your Christmas dinner and beyond….

I’d like to start off with what every holiday needs – dessert – which around these parts is The PIES. I make three homemade pies during the holidays: Old Fashioned Apple Pie, Harvest Pumpkin Pie, and Golden Pecan Pie. And sometimes if you’re real nice to me I’ll make a special pie for your birthday.

So let’s get started. We all know that any good pie needs – a GREAT crust. This is where you will find my Sure Fire Pie Crust, true to my heart, easy, and the best all around pie crust you could ever want.

You will need all the usual pie makin’ goods:

I use the standard white and add a bit of wheat flour – because it loves me and is heart healthy too.
If you have Gluten or wheat sensitivities replace the all-purpose and/or wheat flours with your favorite gluten-free baking blend. Here is a good brand that my GF-free friends recommend: Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour.

Yep you know it – butta.  Yeah that’s right and you need 3 sticks of this goodness.

Salt – about 2 teaspoons, 2 Tablespoons sugar,

a tub-o-lard – 2 cups worth.
Look for 100% Organic Expeller-pressed, non-hydrogenated vegetable shortenings; I like  earth balance or Spectrum organics.

Plus 2 eggs, 2 Tablespoons white vinegar and 1 cup water.

Add the eggs to the water

just crack ‘em in and

whisk up

keep whisking

now add the vinegar.

Give it a stir.

Now you should have about 1 1/2 cups worth

just set it aside.

Measure your flour, see my mom measures it like this

she is my handy helper today.  Get the all purpose flour in

then add your whole whole wheat.

White and whole wheat grains,

now let’s get the mixing party ready.  I am turning to my KitchenAid for this big double batch of crust I’m making.  Use the dough hook and

add your salt and sugar

your chilled butter, which I put in the freezer for a bit.

just dump it into the dry ingredients and

don’t forget the tub-o-lard.  I’m sorry for calling you names, but I need you in this recipe.

I usually use my pastry cutter and incorporate the fats into the flours, or you can mix it like my mom does with two knives.  But since I have a crowd coming for Turkey Day I am using the dream machine.

Set it on low and let it go!

You can stop it from time to time and scrape the sides.  It should look a bit like this with the fats incorporated but not totally mixed in.  You still want to see a bit of the chunks in there.

Now it’s time to add the liquid part.  You can use a bit less water, it’s more about what the dough tells you shhh can you hear it?

Now turn the KitchenAid back on and keep adding the liquid portion a little at a time.

add another cup of white flour if it seems too wet and let it keep doing it’s thing, until it says

stop if you were listening -OR- looks like this.

Its time to put a little flour down.

and get this pie dough into 6 rounds.

See the bits of fat in there – you want this, it’s good – trust me – you will have the most unbelievable crust!

I usually get it into a dough mass then I break it into

dough balls about this size.

See? It’s a sure fire way to make the best pie crust you’ll ever taste.

Just Saran it up and flatten it just a bit. Place the dough in the fridge or freezer.  This dough is a no fail Sure Fire Pie Crust and will last up to 3 months in the freezer. But for now, only one of ‘em is going in for the freeze.  The rest, well you know – get ready for pie making time!

Tomorrow I will show you how to roll out the perfect Sure Fire Pie Crust.

 Printable Recipe

Sure Fire Pie Crust (Adapted from Jan Taylor’s Recipe)

Makes 6 pie crusts

6  cups All-Purpose Flour
2 cups Whole Wheat Flour (Or a combination of both to equal 8 cups)
Start with 8 cups flours and if the dough seems too moist add a bit more flour.  You want a nice texture, not too moist and not too dry and stiff.  You’ll know it if you listen!
2T Sugar
4t Salt
2 cups shortening, Soybean or other Vegetable (100% Organic Expeller-pressed & non-hydrogenated)
1½ cups butter, unsalted

Use pastry cutter, two knives or your KitchenAid with dough hook to cut shortening and butter into flour mixture.

In a separate bowl whisk together the following:
1 cup water
2T white vinegar
2 eggs

Slowly combine the liquid portion until mixed. You still want to see a bit of the butter and fat chunks in there. Flour your hands to further mix dough.
Divide dough into thirds, wrap in saran and place in ziplock baggies. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before rolling. Dough can be frozen for up to three months.