Mom's Pie Crust

Name: Mom's Pie Crust
Yield: 2 pie crusts
Ingredients: 1 cup unsalted butter, chilled; 3 cups all-purpose flour; 3 tablespoons white sugar; ⅓ cup ice water

Rating: 4.64 stars

346 Ratings
248 Reviews
33 Photos

The very first thing I learned how to cook! This freezes beautifully; no well-equipped home is without a ball of pie dough in the freezer! Guaranteed to roll!

By Debra Shapiro

Recipe Summary

Servings:

Yield:

2 pie crusts

Nutrition Info

Ingredients

Original recipe yields 16 servings

The ingredient list now reflects the servings specified

1 cup unsalted butter, chilled
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons white sugar
⅓ cup ice water

Directions

Step 1

Combine flour and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer. Cut butter into tablespoon pieces; add it to the flour and butter. Use the paddle beater to cut the butter and flour together. Alternatively, this can be done by hand with a pastry blender.

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Step 2

With the mixer on low speed , or while stirring the mixture with a fork, pour in the cold water. When the dough starts to clump, and before it turns into a ball, stop stirring.
Step 3

Lightly knead dough in the bowl until it forms a ball. Divide dough into two parts. Flatten each part into a disk, and chill for about 30 minutes before rolling.

Cook's Note:

Replace 1/2 cup unsalted butter with 1/2 cup shortening or 1 cup cold unsalted margarine, if desired.

Partner Tip

Reynolds® Aluminum foil can be used to keep food moist, cook it evenly, and make clean-up easier.

Nutrition Facts

Per Serving:

196.1 calories; 2.5 g protein; 20.2 g carbohydrates; 30.5 mg cholesterol; 2.2 mg sodium. Full Nutrition

Reviews (248)

Most helpful positive review

nrgizrbune41

11/01/2008

I admit to using shortening. I thought I had butter. I didn't. I forgot the sugar too! But it was a great mistake! This crust was so tender. I filled it with a no bake pumpkin pie from this sight. Got all rave reviews. The secret of any crust is not to handle the dough. I use a spatula to gather it together. I dump dough on a lightly floured pastry cloth and using the corners of the cloth and pull it together. I just roll dough out and aside from turning; I haven't handled the dough. The warmth of your hands make crust tough. Practice makes perfect. I make at least 2-3 pies a month! Read More

Helpful

(195)

Most helpful critical review

kathleen

11/23/2011

This is a good starting recipe but the amount of ice water is not accurate. Also to make flaky crust you must not touch the dough with your hands. I have found that if you keep from touching it and freeze it when done for a day then defrost the next it is nice and flaky. The colder you can keep the ingredients the better. I always put the flour in the fridge before hand with the bowl so everything is nice and cold Read More

Helpful

(40)

346 Ratings

5 star values: 270
4 star values: 48
3 star values: 15
2 star values: 5
1 star values: 8

Reviews: Most Helpful

Most Helpful Most Positive Least Positive Newest

nrgizrbune41

11/01/2008

Helpful

(195)

STRMYWTHR3

01/07/2004

I used regular salted butter and it turned out great! Used my food processer to combine all ingredients. Read More

Helpful

(189)

BETH_DAVIS

01/25/2004

I used this recipe because I was out of shortning. The dough was so easy to work with!!! Great recipe!!! Read More

Helpful

(87)

Sally Stall

11/29/2005

This is a nice and simple crust. I used it to make French Silk Chocolate Pie (link below) and Creamy Pumpkin Pie. It was enough for a deep dish 9" pie and a regular 9.5" pyrex pie dish! Make sure you chill before rolling and if you bake it beforehand prick the bottom and sides with a fork and cover it in two layers of heavy-duty foil for the first 8 or so minutes of baking (then uncover for another 4-6 min.) to prevent it from puffing up (mine still puffed up a little but not too bad). It tasted good too! http://pie.allrecipes.com/AZ/FrenchSilkChocolatePie.asp http://pie.allrecipes.com/AZ/CrmyPmpkinPi.asp Read More

Helpful

(53)

kathleen

11/23/2011

Helpful

(40)

SHAWNTELL

10/16/2003

Great pie crust! I did have to use a bit more water than the recipe called for in order to form the dough in a ball. Otherwise great recipe!! Will use again and again. Read More

Helpful

(35)

France

08/20/2006

This is a simple pie crust that I've made several times and that has always worked well for me. I've used it for pumpkin pies, apples pies and apple dumplings. Thanks for sharing this recipe! Read More

Helpful

(34)

Mallmarie

05/22/2011

This recipe finally enabled me to make the flakiest pie crust ever! I put the butter in the freezer for an hour before starting and I also put an ice cube in the water. I sprinkled a teaspoon of vinegar over the flour/butter mixture before adding the water (this supposedly breaks down the gluten in the flour). It is better to use a pastry cutter than a food processor or mixer - doing it by hand leaves some unmixed pea-sized clumps of butter which contributes to the flakiness of the pastry. It was delicious! Read More

Helpful

(33)

buttercup8276

10/16/2003

I had tried many other recipes and none had worked until I tried this one! Read More

Helpful

(33)

More Reviews

Reviews for: Photos of Mom's Pie Crust

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All Reviews

I used regular salted butter and it turned out great! Used my food processer to combine all ingredients.

I used this recipe because I was out of shortning. The dough was so easy to work with!!! Great recipe!!!

Great pie crust! I did have to use a bit more water than the recipe called for in order to form the dough in a ball. Otherwise great recipe!! Will use again and again.

This is a simple pie crust that I've made several times and that has always worked well for me. I've used it for pumpkin pies, apples pies and apple dumplings. Thanks for sharing this recipe!