I'm surprised the CF regulars have not come forth. I use the Cook's Illiustrated vodka pastry recipe with good results. Wizardnm shared this with us long ago. Ingredients 2 1/2 cups (12 1/2 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon table salt 2 tablespoons sugar 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch slices 1/2 cup cold vegetable shortening, cut into 4 pieces 1/4 cup cold vodka 1/4 cup cold water Procedures 1 Process 1 1/2 cups flour, salt, and sugar in food processor until combined, about 2 one-second pulses. Add butter and shortening and process until homogeneous dough just starts to collect in uneven clumps, about 15 seconds (dough will resemble cottage cheese curds and there should be no uncoated flour). Scrape bowl with rubber spatula and redistribute dough evenly around processor blade. Add remaining cup flour and pulse until mixture is evenly distributed around bowl and mass of dough has been broken up, 4 to 6 quick pulses. Empty mixture into medium bowl. 2 Sprinkle vodka and water over mixture. With rubber spatula, use folding motion to mix, pressing down on dough until dough is slightly tacky and sticks together. Divide dough into two even balls and flatten each into 4-inch disk. Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 45 minutes or up to 2 days. *I have used this recipe with lard instead of shortening. Even better.* Another recipe some members swear by is Nathan's fool proof pastry. Posted by annie1992 (My Page) on Wed, Nov 2, 11 at 20:17 I make SharonCB's pastry, it's wonderful to handle and doesn't need to be chilled before rolling, although Sharon said she chilled it an hour or so and it was even easier to handle. I use half butter and half lard when I can get lard, or all butter if I can't. I do mix the dry ingredients with the fat in the food processor, but I add the liquid and mix it in by hand, I always over process with the food processor and it gets too warm and has to be chilled, which takes even more time than I would have spent mixing it by hand! NATHAN'S NEVER FAIL PASTRY ********************************** These quantities make enough pastry for 3 double-crust pies or 3 1/2 dozen tart shells - muffin size. 5 cups flour 1 teasp salt 2 teasp baking powder 1 lb (454 grams) Tenderflake lard 2 teasp white vinegar 1 egg - slightly beaten. Add water to vinegar and egg to make 1 cup 1) Mix together flour, salt and baking powder. Cut in lard until crumbly (using two knives.) 2) Add liquid and mix gently with hands. (I use a fork to help me here.) Roll into a ball. 3) Roll out amount needed on a floured board. Refrigerate or freeze remainder. Source: 'I've GOT To Have That Recipe' Doubleday Canada - Victoria, B.C. 1986 sharoncb's tip: After step two I often put it in the fridge for an hour to make it firmer and easier to roll out. Annie I hope this helps.

It's the morning after, and I am thankful for all you good people who took the time to post and get me through a bad moment. I learned from your posts, and I laughed with your posts. Most importantly, I found out that even on a cooking forum, not everyone makes the perfect, flaky, homemade pie crust. Thank you for telling me that I am not alone. I am through with pies and pie crusts. This year will have been the 20th year of trying, and it was the worst yet. It is time to move on. I am a market gardener, and I grow wonderful organic strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and rhubarb. When I bake with the fruit, I do a crisp, a cobbler, or a tart. DS has a love of pumpkin pie, and I think my efforts are emotionally entwined with being the "good mother", but I am going to find a good bakery next year. You are all right- there is more than one way to skin a cat (that is a horrible saying isn't it?) I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving. You all helped make mine a good one. :)

I've never had the edges burn since I started following these two steps: 1. Keep the crimped (or even a non-crimped, "rustic") edge of the crust WITHIN the edge of the pie pan. It's beautiful and it doesn't burn. 2. Place the pie in the lower part of the oven. This has a second benefit: it prevents a soggy bottom crust. Always hated messing with the foil.

I have used this recipe for a couple of years now and it is the best I have ever tried. It truly is a NO FAIL crust. And I can't cook! AuntCarol's Pie Crust  Never-Fail Type This pie crust recipe is one thatÂs SUPER easy to roll out  one that never gets soggy  leaving that last piece of pie as good as the first  itÂs the ONLY pie crust recipe IÂll ever use  itÂs the BEST  Ingredients  1 egg  3/4 teaspoon salt  1 tablespoon WHITE vinegar  7 tablespoons water  1 cup shortening (CRISCO)  3 cups flour BEAT egg. ADD salt, vinegar, and water. ADD shortening. BLEND with fork, while ADDING flour about a cup at a time. FORM into one big dough ball. THEN DIVIDE into 3 equal-sized dough balls (or you can divide it into 2 equal-sized dough balls like I do sometimes). ROLL OUT thin on a lightly floured surface and then PLACE into pie pan of your choice. Note: Prepared pie shell should be put into the refrigerator 30 minutes before filling  and REMEMBER all fruit pies should be baked on the lowest rack in your oven  ENJOY  Trish in SC