No Fail Pie Crust (Cold Water Pastry)

Many years ago I received a very special gift from my Grandma. At the time, however, I didn't realize just how special it was. It was a recipe, written out in her handwriting, on a crisp white recipe card, placed inside a brand new pie plate.

I thanked her but didn't think much of it. However, the first time I tried to make pastry and failed, I remembered that recipe card with this No Fail Pie Crust recipe written on it.

🥘 Ingredient Notes

Besides very cold water, for this pie dough you will also need:

• All-purpose flour. All-purpose flour dough is easier to roll out and move around and, despite its slightly higher protein, the crust is wonderfully flaky. Pastry flour pie crust is harder to roll without cracking, and it can split apart while the pie is baking.
• Baking powder. Dough has a tendency to shrink so baking powder counteracts that by helping it to lift and aerate. It also tenderizes it.
• Salt. Salt adds flavor to this pie crust.
• Brown sugar. Brown sugar adds a little sweetness and a unique depth of flavor to this dough.
• Shortening. Shortening is a key player in the invincibility of this pie crust! It has a higher melting point so it adds stability to a baking pie crust.
• Vinegar. Vinegar aids in making the pie crust flakier, by tenderizing it.
• Egg. Egg is the binder in this recipe.
• Cold water. Cold water helps keep the fat cold, so it does not melt before it goes into the oven, which would result in UNflaky pie crust. Just use really cold water from your tap. You don't need 'ice water' as many other recipes claim!

📖 Variations

You can't really sub out much in this cold water pastry recipe, except lard for shortening.

🔪How to Make No Fail Pie Crust

In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt and brown sugar. Cut in shortening with a pastry cutter. Mix well.

In a small bowl, beat together vinegar, egg and cold water, Add flour mixture to wet mixture and mix together until it forms small balls.

Mix well until you can form it into a large ball. * Don't be afraid to really get in there with your hands! If it feels gooey, add a little more flour. *Add only a little flour (about 1 tbsp) at a time until it no longer feels gooey or wet. You don't want it too dry, as it won't roll out properly (and you will have additional flour on the board - be very careful not to use too much flour!)

Roll pie dough out onto a lightly floured surface to about ⅛- ¼ of an inch thick. If you are making pie, then lay your pie pan upside down on the dough. Do the same with tarts, using the aluminum tart plates.

Cut out a circle around it, leaving yourself additional space -at least an inch or two. * You will trim the pie shell later (once it's in the pie plate).

Spray your pie plate with non- stick cooking spray, flip over the pie plate, then gently pick up the crust and place it in the pie plate. This will be your bottom crust. *Some people like to use a rolling pin to transfer it to the pie plate (as in the video below), but I do not use that method. * See Top Tip on rips/tears

Trim the pie once the filling is in and you have put the 2nd pie crust on top, if you are doing a double crust pie (this will be your top crust). I trim a little, then use a fork to press the ends down (see Video on how to crimp a pie crust with a fork in NOTES), then trim a little more if I need to. * I prefer to use kitchen shears to trim at this stage, as it gives you more control. Add some venting slits by cutting small triangles into the pie with a small paring knife.

Bake as per instructions for the pie recipe you are making (they usually require 30-40 minutes, the first 10 minutes at 400 degrees F/204 degrees C and the remainder of the time at 350 degrees F/176 degrees C). If you are baking tarts, it's about half the time.

🎥 Videos

If you want a simple, yet nice-looking technique for pie crust, this video shows you how to crimp a pie crust with a fork:

VIDEO: How to crimp a pie crust with a fork

VIDEO: How to move pie dough to a pie plate with a rolling pin

👪 Serving size

Also known as Never Fail Pie Crust this recipe is not only a VERY EASY pie crust, it's versatile and makes a wonderful single-crust pie, double crust pie, or single or double tart shells. This recipe makes enough dough for 5 single pie crusts and although you may not need it all, it freezes well.

🌡️Storing

You can store this crust in the fridge for 1 day (as it contains raw egg) but you can freeze it for up to 3 months. Freeze it in a ball or dough disk, covered in plastic wrap, in a Ziplock freezer bag (with the air pushed out) for up to 3 months.

You can also roll it out, put it into an aluminum pie plate, put it inside a large Ziplock freezer bag, and freeze it that way. *When you go to use it, be sure it's completely thawed out (in refrigerator) and roll it out, according to directions.