Pie crust without Crisco recipe

[elizabeth.scalf]

Need a pie crust recipe that doesn't call for Crisco. I'll have butter and coconut oil, and I know I've seen recipes that call for those instead of Crisco, just need to know the ratios, if anyone has a good recipe let me know. TIA

[ktmelody]

You can just substitute butter.


2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
1 cup (2 sticks or 8 ounces) unsalted butter, very-cold, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
6 to 8 Tbsp ice water

Make sure the butter is super cold.

[juliasmom]

I always do half butter half shortening...it gives the best balance of flavor and texture. It wouldnt surprise me if you could use coconut oil instead of shortening...Im interested to hear if anyone tried.

[Nandis]

I've used this one with great success:
BRYANNA'S LOW-FAT, CRISPY OLIVE OIL PASTRY
This crispy pastry is very easy to handle and quite low in fat (about 1 tsp. of olive oil per serving). Perfect for rustic "freeform" tarts. If you want to make a larger tart, double the recipe and make it on a 14" pizza pan.

1 cup unbleached flour (NOT pastry flour)
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup ice-cold water

Mix the flour and salt in a bowl. Cut in the cold olive oil briefly. Add the water and mix with a fork until it hold together. Handle as little as possible. Lightly form it into a ball and refrigerate, covered, for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

On a lightly-floured piece of baking parchment, roll the pastry dough out into a 13-14" circle (it doesn't have to be perfect, but avoid having any holes or very thin spots). Carefully transfer the dough circle to a 9-10" pie pan or small pizza pan, lightly sprayed with oil from a pump sprayer. Pile the filling in the middle of the pastry and bring the edges up around the filling, to make a freeform pie. Pleat the edges of the dough over the filling, leaving a 5" open circle in the center.

For a sweet pie, brush the pastry with soy or nut milk and sprinkle with a little organic granulated sugar. For a savory pie, brush or spray lightly with olive oil.

Cover the filling in the open circle (not the pastry) with a circle of foil cut to fit. Place the pie in the oven and immediately reduce the heat to 350°F.

Bake the pie for about 45 minutes. Remove the foil and poke the apples with a fork to see if they are tender. If they are, remove the foil. If the pastry not golden yet, bake another 5-10 minutes, or until golden.

Servings: 6
Yield: 1 crust

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per 1/6th): 115.6 calories; 36% calories from fat; 4.7g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 235.8mg sodium; 22.3mg potassium; 15.9g carbohydrates; 0.6g fiber; 0.1g sugar; 15.3g net carbs; 2.2g protein; 2.6 points.

I've also used a combination of half coconut oil and half earth balance (so, 3/4 c each) in place of the shortening to make the following recipe:

Sylvia's Perfect Pie Crust
Ingredients
1-1/2 cup Crisco (vegetable Shortening)
3 cups All-purpose Flour
1 whole Egg
5 Tablespoons Cold Water
1 Tablespoon White Vinegar
1 teaspoon Salt
Preparation Instructions
In a large bowl, with a pastry cutter, gradually work the Crisco into the flour for about 3 or 4 minutes until it resembles a coarse meal. In a small bowl, beat an egg with a fork and then pour it into the flour/shortening mixture. Add 5 tablespoons of cold water, 1 tablespoon of white vinegar and 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir together gently until all of the ingredients are incorporated.
Separate the dough into thirds. Form 3 evenly sized balls of dough and place each dough into a large Ziploc bag. Using a rolling pin, slightly flatten each ball of dough (about ½ inch thick) to make rolling easier later. Seal the bags and place them in the freezer until you need them. (If you will be using it immediately it’s still a good idea to put in the freezer for about 15 to 20 minutes to chill.)
When you are ready to use the dough to make a crust, remove from the freezer and allow to thaw for 15 minutes. On a floured surface roll the dough, starting at the center and working your way out. (Sprinkle some flour over top of the dough if it’s a bit too moist.) If the dough is sticking to the countertop use a metal spatula and carefully scrape it up and flip it over and continue rolling until it’s about ½ inch larger in diameter than your pie pan.
With a spatula, lift the dough carefully from the surface of the counter into the pie pan. Gently press the dough against the corner of the pan. Go around the pie pan pinching and tucking the dough to make a clean edge.

[elizabeth.scalf]

Thanks ladies. I remember reading a long time ago that using different forms of fat like coconut oil or butter give a flakier crust because they liquify at different temps so they form different pockets of air.. or something like that. Thanks for the recipes!