Going to add pie / square crusts to this post so they are all in one spot. 🙂
Elsie was my mother-in-law, and she loved to bake. She was constantly making pies and squares. Needless to say her pie crust recipe makes A LOT of pie crust.
Elsie's Pie Dough
Ingredients
- 5 c flour
- 2 c shortening
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 tsp sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tbs inegar
- 3/4 c COLD water
Instructions
- Beat egg slightly, add to vinegar and water.
- Mix dry ingredients and blend in the wet.
- Knead gently to mix, wrap in saran wrap and place in fridge to cool.
Shortbread Crust
Ingredients
- 1/2 lbs / 1 c butter salted, room temperature
- 1/3 c sugar
- 2 c flour
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- Mix butter with sugar and salt until well combined.
- Mix in egg yolks.
- Add flour 1 cup at a time. (at this point I just used my fingers to mix or a hand mixer on low)
- Mix until the dough forms a small crumb-like texture
- Pour into 9" pie plate, or container of choice, and press dough against sides and bottom and form the shell
- Put into freezer for about 15-20 minutes
- Bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes until it just starts to turn brown
- Set aside to cool
Notes
Great with lemon meringue pie! Add some lemon zest to the dough for a nice zip.
Graham Cracker Crust
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 c graham crackers
- 1/4 c sugar
- 1/3 c butter + 1 tbsp or so
Instructions
- Melt butter, mix with crackers and sugar
- Press into 9" pie shell (forms a thin crust)
- Bake for 10 min at 350F
Notes
Add cinnamon, nutmeg, dash of clove if you want some flavour.
For a deep dish crust use 2 1/2 cups graham crumbs, 1/2 cup sugar, and 10 tablespoons butter.
For a deep dish crust use 2 1/2 cups graham crumbs, 1/2 cup sugar, and 10 tablespoons butter.
Low Carb Almond Flour Crust
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 c almond meal or almond flour
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
- 1/8 c Stevia or whatever favourite sugar substitute would equal 1/4 c sugar
- 1/2 tsp fresh ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract or almond or whatever flavouring you'd like
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix ingredients until it forms a granular texture.
- Pour into a springform pan that has been sprayed with baking PAM and press down to form the crust
- Bake at 350F for 8-10 minutes until it begins to brown.
- Set aside to cool
Toasted Coconut & Almond Crust
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups almond flour
- 1/4 cup toasted coconut chopped small
- 1/4 cup sugar or use sugar substitute of choice
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1/2 tsp fresh ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Mix the almond flour, coconut, sugar, and salt in a medium-sized bowl. You want them mixed well so that there aren't clumps when you add the liquid.
- Add the vanilla and melted butter and stir with a spoon to mix until all the dry ingredients are wet.
- Press into a pie plate, patting down. Use the bottom of a measuring cup to flatten and get to the sides. Prick the bottom of the shell a few times with a fork.
- Bake at 350°F for 8-12 minutes until it just begins to brown.
- Remove from oven and let cool completely.
Notes
For a pre-baked crust, bake at 350°F for 8-12 minutes until it just begins to brown.
To bake a filled pie, pre-bake for 10-12 minutes before adding fillings. You may need to cover the edges in foil to avoid over-browning. Let the pie crust cool before adding fillings and baking again.
PIE DOUGH AND SQUARE CRUSTS