Mildred’s light touch took years to master. Too much flour will make the dough tough. Use just enough to keep it from sticking to the rolling pin. Make the dough ahead of time and place it in the refrigerator wrapped tightly in plastic wrap. If you don’t have a pastry blender, you can use a fork here, as well as your fingers—if you start with cold hands and work fast. The more the shortening melts, the less flaky the crust will be.
Recipe information
Yield
makes two 9- or 10-inch crusts
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Cut in the shortening with a pastry blender until it is the size of small peas. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the milk over part of the flour mixture. Gently toss with a fork and push to the side of the bowl. Sprinkle another tablespoon over another dry part, toss with a fork and push to the side of the bowl. Repeat with the remaining milk until all of the flour mixture is moistened.
Step 2
Press the dough together to form 2 equal balls, then flatten into disks. Roll out the crusts right away, or wrap the dough tightly, smoothing out any little wrinkles or air pockets, and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each ball to a thickness of 1/8 inch. Use a light touch and handle the dough as little as possible.
Step 3
To prebake an empty crust, preheat the oven to 400°F. Press 1 rolled-out crust into a 9- or 10-inch pie plate. Line with parchment paper and weigh the crust down with dry beans or pie weights to keep the crust from bubbling or shrinking. Bake for 10 minutes, until firm and lightly browned. To parbake the crust, remove it from the oven after about 10 to 20 minutes, when you first see a golden hue to the crust.
A notice posted in the kitchen at Mrs. Rowe’s Country Buffet
Step 4
HOW PIES ARE CUT:
Step 5
Cut all fruit pies and Boston cream pies into eight slices. This includes peach, apple, all sugar-free pies, strawberry rhubarb, cherry, red raspberry, blueberry, French apple, Boston cream. And egg custard.
Step 6
Cut all meringue pies and pecan pies into ten slices. This includes lemon, coconut, chocolate, peanut butter, and butterscotch.
