The Best Flaky Pie Crust
6 tablespoons butter, chilled
2 tablespoons lard, chilled
6 ounces approximately 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling dough
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/4 cup ice water, in spritz bottle
Dried beans for blind baking (enough to fill 1/2 way up the pie plate)
Place butter and lard in freezer for 15 minutes. When ready to use, remove and cut both into small pieces.
Before using food processor, chill the bowl and blades in the refrigerator.
In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour and salt by pulsing 3 to 4 times. Add butter and pulse 5 to 6 times until texture looks mealy. Add lard and pulse another 3 to 4 times. Remove lid of food processor and spritz surface of mixture thoroughly with water. Replace lid and pulse 5 times. Add more water and pulse again until mixture holds together when squeezed. Place mixture in large zip-top bag, squeeze together until it forms a ball, and then press into a rounded disk and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Place 2 metal pie pans in the refrigerator to chill.
Remove dough from refrigerator. Cut along 2 sides of the plastic bag, open bag to expose dough, and sprinkle both sides with flour. Cover again with plastic and roll out with a rolling pin to a 10 to 11-inch circle. Open plastic again and sprinkle top of dough with flour. Remove pie pans from refrigerator and set first pan on top of dough. Turn everything upside down and peel plastic from bottom of dough. Place second pan upside down on top of dough and flip again. Remove first pan from atop dough. Trim edges if necessary, leaving an edge for meringue to adhere to, or not if no meringue on this pie. Poke holes in dough and place in refrigerator for 15 minutes.
Place a large piece of parchment paper on top of dough and fill with dry beans. Press beans into edges of dough and bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove parchment and beans and continue baking until golden in color, approximately 10 to 15 minutes longer. Remove from oven and place on cooling rack. Let cool completely before filling.
Why chill everything you ask? You do not want the butter or lard to melt. Even over mixing the ingredients with the food processor will create a little heat as well as your hands when you roll it out. The lard and the butter will melt in the crust when you bake it. That's the secret to getting a light flaky crust.
This recipe is a little labor intensive, but with the little extra work you will be rewarded with a light flaky crust like Grandma used to make.
Somehow...I lost my mom's recipe for pie crust and it was a good one too..she is not with us anymore.....and I would like a recipe for a SINGLE and a DOUBLE CRUST Pie. I know I can search on the web and believe me I have...but..I was hoping to have a good tried and true one. Would any lady members please give me your recipes and guys..could you ask your girlfriend or wife please and reply to this or pm me with pie crust recipes please? I know I can buy premade crusts at the grocery store..but..want to make my own crust. Thx for any help