Kitchen Meets Culinary Clutz

My mother-in-law is an excellent cook! I've always loved her pies and before my father-in-law passed away he swore by her pies. She told me that a pie is only as good as its crust, and she gave me her recipe.

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  2 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
  
  
  
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  1 tsp. salt
  
  
  
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  3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. shortening (not butter, margarine or salad oil)
  
  
  
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  1/3 cup ice water
  
  
  

1. 
   
   In bowl, mix flour and salt.  With pastry blender cut two thirds of shortening into flour until it becomes like corn meal. Cut in rest of shortening until pea shaped consistancy.  (Or cut in all of shortening at once until it becomes like coarse meal.
   
   
   
2. 
   
   Sprinkle water, 1 Tbsp. at a time, over different parts of mixture tossing quickly with fork until mixture sticks together, when pressed gently, and form a dough that clings to a fork.  (Use only enough water to make flour mixture cling together -- dough should not be wet or sticky.)
   
   
   
3. 
   
   With cupped hands, lightly form dough into smooth ball.  (If very warm day, wrap in wax paper and refrigerate up to 1/2 hr.) Divide the dough in half, forming into two balls if making two-crust pastry.  
   
   
   
4. 
   
   To make the bottom crust, place one of the balls of pastry on lightly floured surface.  With stockinet-covered rolling pin, flatten gently.  Then roll lightly from center out to edge, in all directions, forming a circle about 1 1/2" wider all around than inverted 8" or 9" pie plate (11" to 12" in diameter).
   
   
   
5. 
   
   Be sure to lift rolling pin near edge of circle, to keep edge from splitting or getting thin.  If edge splits, pinch cracks together.  If pastry sticks, loosen gently wit spatula; then lift and lightly flour surface.
   
   
   
6. 
   
   Fold pastry circle in half; lift onto ungreased pie plate, with fold at center; unfold.  Use bent right index finger to fit pastry gently into plate.  (Be sure there are no cracks or holes for juices to seep through.)
   
   
   

Baby don't you cry
I will give you every bit of love that is in my heart
I will bake it up… into a simple little pie

Baby don't you cry gonna make a pie
Gonna make a pie with a heart in the middle
Baby don’t be blue
Gonna make for you
Gonna make a pie with a heart in the middle
Gonna be a pie from the heaven above
Gonna be filled with strawberry love

Baby don’t you cry
Gonna make a pie
Hold you forever in the middle of my heart.

Baby heres the sun
Baby heres the sky
Baby I’m the light and I’m your shelter
Baby you are mine
I could freeze the time

Keep you in my kitchen with me forever
Gonna be a pie from the heaven above
Gonna be filled with strawberry love

Baby don’t you cry
Gonna make a pie
Hold you forever in the middle of my heart.

Gonna bake a pie from the heaven above
Gonna be filled with butterscotch love
Gonna be a pie from the heaven above
Gonna be filled with banana cream love

Baby don’t you cry
Gonna make a pie

Hold you forever
Hold you forever
Hold you forever in the middle of my heart