Pie crust – Basic Egg & Lemon Juice Pie crust

Pie crust - Basic Egg & Lemon Juice Pie crust

Directions

  1. MIX flour and salt in large bowl. CUT in shortening with pastry blender until pieces are the size of small peas. MIX egg yolk, 3 Tbsp. ice water and the lemon juice in small bowl. ADD to flour mixture, 1 Tbsp. at a time, stirring lightly and tossing with fork until moistened and dough just holds together. ADD remaining ice water if needed. GATHER dough and SHAPE into 1-inch thick disk. REFRIGERATE, wrapped in plastic wrap, 1 hour or overnight.

  2. ROLL out dough on lightly floured surface, rolling from center to edge, to form a 12-inch circle. FOLD into quarters; EASE and UNFOLD into 9-inch pie plate. PRESS pastry gently against bottom and sides of pie plate, easing out any air. TRIM edge leaving 1/2-inch overhang. FOLD overhang under; FLUTE edge. REFRIGERATE, covered, at least 30 minutes.

Ingredients

  • 1 large EGG, separated yolk
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
  • 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

Tips

FOR BAKED PIE CRUST: LINE pie crust with parchment paper; FILL with pie weights. BAKE in 425°F oven until pastry is set, 8 to 10 minutes. REMOVE parchment paper and weights. BAKE until edge is golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes longer. COOL completely on wire rack.

FOR NUTTY PIE CRUST: ADD 1/4 cup ground pecans (or almonds, walnuts or hazelnuts) with the flour in step 1. PROCEED as directed above.

FOR SIX (4-INCH) MINI PIE CRUSTS: DOUBLE the recipe. DIVIDE dough into six 1-inch disks. REFRIGERATE, wrapped in plastic wrap, 1 hour or overnight. ROLL out each dough disk on lightly floured surface, rolling from center to edge, to form a 6-inch circle. EASE into 4-inch pie plate. PRESS pastry gently against bottom and sides of pie plate, easing out any air. TRIM edge, leaving 1/2-inch overhang. FOLD overhang under; FLUTE edge. REPEAT with remaining dough. REFRIGERATE, covered, at least 30 minutes. For baked crusts, FOLLOW directions and timing above.

This recipe is a good source of folate.

To ensure food safety, eggs should be cooked until both the yolk and the white are firm. Consuming raw or undercooked eggs may increase your risk of foodborne illness, especially for those with certain medical conditions. For recipes that call for eggs that are raw or undercooked when the dish is served, use either pasteurized shell eggs that have been treated to destroy Salmonella, or use pasteurized egg products.

Click here for more food safety information.