I am sure this is NOT what you want to hear....but pie crust is not an exact science. You can't measure flour by the level teaspoon and mix a specified number of minutes....there is a lot of "feel of the dough" having to do with a good pie crust.
I suspect your crumbly crust would have been a lot better with the addition of a little more water.
Here's my basic recipe....for a single crust.
1 cup of all puirpose flour, stiff before you measure the flour so it isn't packed down.
1/3 cup shortning....either all crisco or lard or 1/2 crisco and half butter....measured by the water displacement method.
1/2 tsp salt
3 to 4 1/2 tablespoons of water.
Mix the salt with the flour
Cut the fat into the flour until evenly mixed, using a pastry blender.
Sprinkle 3 T ice water over the top of the flour mix and toss with a fork to mix...add as much more water as you need to be able to form into a ball.
If you add too much water and the dough is "mucky" add a little more flour...won't be as good but you will have salvaged the crust.
Form into a flat ball and wrap and refrigerate about 20 to 30 minutes....don't wad it up with your palms....just gently with the tips of your fingers....a good pastry chef has "cool hands" and doesn't maul the dough.
When the dough is cooled a bit, place on a lightly floured surgace (I like marble, or formica or corian) and roll out....using one ways troks of the rolling pin...don't roll back and forth....roll one way and turn the crust, dust lightly with flour and roll the other way.....when rolled large enough for an 8 or 9 inch pie...loosley roll onto your rolling pin and roll onto the pie dish...gently press into shape, cut off excess and make a crimped ri,.
Then fill with quiche...or apples...or pecan pie mixture or whatever.
Double the recipe for a 2 crust pie.
Linda C

Here's a link to what I think is a great pie crust tutorial.

Here is a link that might be useful: Pie crust tips

I searched for years for my perfect pie crust recipe - then one day I found it. Here it is:

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) 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
My tip: After step two I often put it in the fridge for an hour to make it firmer and easier to roll out.

* Check quantity of apples by slicing them first into empty pieplate before lining with pastry to see if you have enough. Then remove and wipe plate clean again.

1) Preheat oven to 425 F (218 C)
2) Peel and slice apples into a mixing bowl. In another small bowl combine the dry ingredients and pour them over apples. Toss well to coat all over.
3) Line pieplate with pastry and pile coated apple slices into pieplate. Dot apples with pieces of butter.
4) Roll out top crust and put on pie, flute edges, brush crust with the milk and sprinkle with sugar.
5) Bake 10 minutes at 425F (218C) then lower heat to 350F (177C) for 35 - 40 minutes or until crust is golden.

{{gwi:1519700}} - (can be fresh or tinned)
1 cup sugar (200 grams)
4 TBS flour
4 cups sliced peaches
1 TBS lemon juice

Using similar method as with apple pie, mix sugar with flour in mixing bowl, add sliced peaches and lemon juice. Combine. Pour into lined pieplate, put on top crust and use same baking temperatures and times as apple pie.
With both pies - be sure and have a drip-catching pan at the lower level of your oven in case the fruit juices bubble over.

SharonCb

I've never see Lard in the stores. What section would it be in? Is it cold? Or on the regular shelves?

Anney,
I use the pie-maker" pouches, what I like about them is I can get the pie crust evenly distributed to the outer edges. Without it, I tend to have very thin edges, I know what my problem is. Using those pouches, I don't have to give it a thought & allows me to just zip right though it, & gives me an even thickness throughout.

Lucy

Shaun, look in the dairy case. Armour still sells it, but mainly in the hispanic food stores.

The pie crust pouch looks like it would work well.

I had a terrible time making pie crust for years. I won't go into detail on the various problems, but I was a total failure with pie crust. Until Nancy posted her recipe and now I only have problems with 2 crust pies. The upper crust is what gives me problems now but my Mom suggested to freeze the dough for the upper crust and then grate it over the pie. The grated frozen dough makes an interesting top crust and it works wonderfully.

I now make so many pies that I always have a recipe of Nancy's Pie Crust in my refrigerator ready at all times.

Single-Crust with Vodka (Nancy)

Vodka is essential to the texture of the crust and imparts no flavordo not substitute. This dough will be moister and more supple than most standard pie doughs and will require more flour to roll out (up to 1/4 cup).

1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (6 1/4 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 tablespoon sugar
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (3/4 stick), cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/4 cup chilled solid vegetable shortening , cut into 2 pieces
2 tablespoons vodka , cold
2 tablespoons cold water

1. Process 3/4 cups flour, salt, and sugar together in food processor until combined, about 2 one-second pulses. Add butter and shortening and process until homogenous dough just starts to collect in uneven clumps, about 10 seconds (dough will resemble cottage cheese curds with some very small pieces of butter remaining, but there should be no uncoated flour). Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl with rubber spatula and redistribute dough evenly around processor blade. Add remaining 1/2 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. Flatten dough into 4-inch disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 45 minutes or up to 2 days.

3. Adjust oven rack to lowest position, place rimmed baking sheet on oven rack, and heat oven to 425 degrees. Remove dough from refrigerator and roll out on generously floured (up to ¼ cup) work surface to 12-inch circle about 1/8 inch thick. Roll dough loosely around rolling pin and unroll into pie plate, leaving at least 1-inch overhang on each side. Working around circumference, ease dough into plate by gently lifting edge of dough with one hand while pressing into plate bottom with other hand. Leave overhanging dough in place; refrigerate until dough is firm, about 30 minutes.

4. Trim overhang to ½ inch beyond lip of pie plate. Fold overhang under itself; folded edge should be flush with edge of pie plate. Flute dough or press the tines of a fork against dough to flatten it against rim of pie plate. Refrigerate dough-lined plate until firm, about 15 minutes.

5. Remove pie pan from refrigerator, line crust with foil, and fill with pie weights or pennies. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove foil and weights, rotate plate, and bake for 5 to 10 minutes additional minutes until crust is golden brown and crisp.

Notes: I do not add the 2 TBL of water. And I do add extra flour until the dough is the right texture to roll out.

Michelle

Thought I would throw in my 2¢ worth....here is a crust recipe that has worked well for me:

Jill Prescott's Flaky Butter Crust
From Ecole de Cusine, Professional Cooking for the Home Chef, pages 210-11

1 3/4 cup flour
½ teaspoon salt
3/4 cup cold unsalted butter
1 lightly beaten egg
1 tablespoon cold water

Place the flour on the counter or a large cutting board. Add salt and butter. With a flat plastic pastry scraper chop the butter and flour together until a crumbly mixture is formed with small pea size chunks of butter.
Whisk the egg and water together in a small bowl. Pour the egg mixture over the dough. Work egg mixture into the flour using the plastic scraper and then gather the dough together quickly in a ball. With the heel of your hand smear the dough across the work surface, one section at a time until the dough just comes together. Do not overwork the dough, there will be tiny chunks of visible butter which will insure a flaky crust, do not try to make a smooth, homogeneous dough.
Form the dough into a ball and flatten to a disc shape. Place in a plastic bag or wrap in plastic film and refrigerate for about 1 hour before using.
Variation: For a sweetened crust add 2 tablespoons sugar to the flour mixture. Makes one 9-10 inch crust.

I usually pour out an amount of flour into a bowl. Run my whisk around in it and then measure amount needed for recipe.

Everything, including flour, need to be cold from the fridge.

Anney, the key to a successful pie crust IMHO is 2 things. First the amount of Crisco used and second the temperature of your ingredients. I always use ice water and I place my shortening in the frig. at least an hour before making my crusts. They come out flakey every time. Good luck Gina

When I'm in Canada and making pies I use this lard at the link below.
There are also some tips on the page for handling pastry.

SharonCb

Thank you all for suggestions, tips and recipes!

I'm hoping to get this pie-crust making under my belt so I wonder why it was ever a problem. Because most of my attempts were failures, I just haven't made pies in the last few years unless I bought the frozen crusts, knowing they aren't as flaky as the pie crusts of friends who've gotten the techniques down pat. I've even used frozen filo dough for some pie crusts. But the cost of food has increased about 40% in this area from a year ago, and it's time for me to do more things from scratch to economize. And have better, more nutritious food.

I'll probably try every pie crust recipe you've posted, so your helpful suggestions are much appreciated!

Thanks PK!!

If it falls apart, it could be that your dough is too rich.

Make sure all your ingredients are cold (even the flour).

Handle the dough as little as possible!

I used the Cook's Illustrated vodka recipe this year and will never go back to anything else. The dough is unlike anything I have used in a pie crust but the ease and final result were amazing.