The Perfect Pie Crust and the History of Crisco

I usually make a butter or chocolate cookie pie crust, but it really depends on the pie. I grew up with Crisco, and using Crisco really does make a very flaky pie crust. "Nothing's tastier 'cause nothing's flakier." The early Crisco ads said, "Crisco Pies are digestible."

The Crisco website has instructions for all kinds of great flaky pie crusts. Depending on the type of pie you're making, you'll want to have the best type of pie crust. Be sure and scroll down for information on the Perfect Pie Crust!

What is Crisco?

Since its introduction in 1911, Crisco® has revolutionized the way food is prepared and the way it tastes. From being the first shortening product made entirely of vegetable oil to creating the first cooking oil that was promoted for its light taste, Crisco has been making life in the kitchen more delicious for years.

Crisco brings to mind homemade, down-home, and traditional meals. It is recognized, comfortable, and trusted across generations, yet it is simple and unadorned. It brings about a certain pride in meal creation and attainable excellence in cooking.

More recent innovations include Canola, Corn, and Natural Blend oils; Crisco Sticks for baking ease; and alcohol-free No-Stick Cooking Sprays. We're proud of our past and look forward to remaining a key ingredient in kitchens everywhere.

Crisco brings variety: from baking to grilling; from American to Asian; from simple salads to a complete home-cooked dinner; from scratch baking to a convenient shortcut. Crisco is also a versatile ingredient that adapts to your cooking style.

Crisco Pie Crusts

SINGLE CRUST
1 1/3 cups Pillsbury BEST® All Purpose Flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 stick well-chilled Crisco® Baking Sticks All-Vegetable Shortening
OR 1/2 cup well-chilled Crisco® All-Vegetable Shortening
3 to 6 tablespoons ice cold water

DOUBLE CRUST
2 cups Pillsbury BEST® All Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 stick well-chilled Crisco® Baking Sticks All-Vegetable Shortening
OR 3/4 cup well-chilled Crisco® All-Vegetable Shortening
4 to 8 tablespoons ice cold water

DEEP DISH DOUBLE CRUST
2 2/3 cups Pillsbury BEST® All Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 stick well-chilled Crisco® Baking Sticks All-Vegetable Shortening
OR 1 cup well-chilled Crisco® All-Vegetable Shortening
 6 to 10 tablespoons ice cold water

PREPARATION DIRECTIONS:

1. BLEND flour and salt in medium mixing bowl.
2. CUT chilled shortening into 1/2-inch cubes. Cut in chilled shortening cubes into flour mixture, using a pastry blender, in an up and down chopping motion, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some small pea-sized pieces remaining.
3. SPRINKLE half the maximum recommended amount of ice cold water over the flour mixture. Using a fork, stir and draw flour from bottom of bowl to the top, distributing moisture evenly into flour. Press chunks down to bottom of bowl with fork. Add more water by the tablespoon, until dough is moist enough to hold together when pressed together.
4. TIP Test dough for proper moistness by squeezing a marble-sized ball of dough in your hand. If it holds together firmly, do not add any additional water. If the dough crumbles, add more water by the tablespoonful, until dough is moist enough to form a smooth ball when pressed together.
5. SHAPE dough into a ball for single pie crust. Divide dough in two for double crust or double deep dish crust, one ball slightly larger than the other. Flatten ball(s) into 1/2-inch thick round disk(s).
6. TIP For ease in rolling, wrap dough in plastic wrap. Chill for 30 minutes or up to 2 days.
7. ROLL dough (larger ball of dough for double crust pie) from center outward with steady pressure on a lightly floured work surface (or between two sheets of wax or parchment paper) into a circle 2-inches wider than pie plate for the bottom crust. Transfer dough to pie plate by loosely rolling around rolling pin. Center the rolling pin over the pie plate, and then unroll, easing dough into pie plate.
8. For a SINGLE pie crust, trim edges of dough leaving a 3/4-inch overhang. Fold edge under. Flute dough as desired. Bake according to specific recipe directions.
9. For a DOUBLE pie crust, roll larger disk for bottom crust, trimming edges of dough even with outer edge of pie plate. Fill unbaked pie crust according to recipe directions. Roll out smaller dough disk. Transfer dough carefully onto filled pie. Trim edges of dough leaving a 3/4-inch overhang. Fold top edge under bottom crust. Press edges together to seal and flute as desired. Cut slits in top crust or prick with fork to vent steam. Bake according to specific recipe directions.
10. Two Methods for Pre-baking Pie Crusts (Cream Pies)
11. Pre-baking without weights: Thoroughly prick bottom and sides of unbaked pie dough with fork (50 times) to prevent it from blistering or rising. Bake crust in lower third of oven, at 425°F, 10-12 minutes or until edges and bottom are golden brown.
12. Pre-baking with weights: Thoroughly prick bottom and sides of unbaked pie dough with fork (50 times) to prevent it from blistering or rising. Chill or freeze for 30 minutes. Line pie dough snugly with foil or parchment paper. Fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake at 375°F for 20 minutes. Remove foil and weights. Reduce oven to 350°F. Bake 5-10 minutes or until edges and bottom are golden brown.