A SPECIAL JULIA CHILD RECIPE: PIE CRUSTS

Okay, dear friends, this is a very special recipe, tried and true and one you will want to try.  I show the photo of the Kitchen Aid because Julia recommends this appliance when making this marvelous pie dough.  If you have another appliance like it, equipped with a paddle, that would work too.  This recipe makes four (4) pie crusts which I freeze in separate packages, and then pull out one or two depending on what type of pie I am making, so handy and a real time-saver!  This recipe will not disappoint.

JULIA CHILD'S FLAKY PIE DOUGH

5 1/4 cups PASTRY or ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR

1 Tbsp. KOSHER SALT

1 1/2 sticks cold UNSALTED BUTTER,

cut into small pieces

1 3/4 cup (11 oz.) solid VEGETABLE SHORTENING,

chilled

1 cup ICE WATER

In Kitchen Aid with paddle:

Put flour and salt into the bowl and stir to mix.  Add the butter and mix on low until mixture looks coarse and crumbly.  Add shortening in small bits, continue on low.  When clumpy and curdy looking, and when small amount holds together when pressed between fingers, add the ice water and mix only until incorporated.

Finishing the product:

Turn dough out onto work surface and fold over on itself two or three times, just to finish the mixing and gather it together.  My Mother always told me, the less you handle pie crust dough the flakier it will be, and nobody but nobody made pie crust better than she did.  I even think Julia would be jealous.  Okay, I then divide the dough into four equal parts (I even go so far as to weigh them on my little kitchen scale), wrap and label these babies and pop them into the freezer.  When I want a crust (or crusts) for a recipe, I just let it thaw in the refrigerator and roll it out.  Easy.  Cuts preparation time in half! 

A keeper!