Flaky Homemade Pie Crust

Don't you just love the fall?  I can't seem to help myself, but the crispier air, beautiful autumn colors, and cooler temperatures puts me in the mood to bake bake bake!

I bought more than a few sweet potatoes at the store and tried to figure out what I wanted to do with them. I decided to make a couple of sweet potato pies for the hubby, my brother and sister-in-law.  I sat there and tried to find my recipe on the computer and decided that I had everything to make it.  I was not in the mood to go to the store to get any pie crusts, so I decided to try my hand at making my own.
Back to the internet I went to search for an easy to make, yet flaky and delicious pie crust. 
Keep in mind that I've never made my own pie crust before, but luckily I have family who don't mind being my guinea pigs.  The test kitchen is back open!
bwa ha ha ha ha (in my evil laugh while rubbing my hands together)
Ok, I just had a whole Bram Stoker/Mary Shelley moment there, complete with the flickering lights and the thunder in the background.
LOL!



Yeah, something like that. LOL!!!

So anyway, I found this fabulous recipe from Monique at DivasCanCook titled the Best Homemade Pie Crust and let me tell you it was delicious! For a newby with regards to making an actual pie crust that has to be refrigerated and rolled out with a rolling pin and flour and all that, I have to say it was pretty easy to make.  I was actually quite proud of myself.

Of course, it didn't come out all that pretty and I need to work on getting the thickness more uniform, but the taste and the texture were amazing!
Here is the recipe. The only thing I changed at a suggestion of one of her other blog followers was to switch the water to half & half.  Delicious!

INGREDIENTS

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 Tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick of cold butter, chopped in pieces
• 1/2 cup cold butter-flavored shortening
• 1/2 cup cold half & half (add more by the tablespoon if the dough is too dry)

DIRECTIONS
1.  In medium-sized bowl, add flour. Be sure to carefully measure!
2.  Add in sugar and salt.  Whisk to combine.
3.  Add in chopped, cold butter.
4.  Use your hands, a pastry cutter, or 2 knives to cut the butter into the flour. (I used my new KitchenAid mixer for this step.)
5.  Add in cold butter-flavored shortening.  Cut in the shortening.
6.  Can finish it up with a fork to break up the larger chunks of butter.  Mixture should be nice & crumbly.
7.  Add in the half & half.
8.  Use a spatula to fold in the liquid until just combined.  Add a little more if the dough is too dry.
9.  When slightly moistened, gently shape dough into a flattened disc and wrap securely in plastic wrap.
10. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
11. Lightly flour a flat surface and your rolling pin.
12. Pinch the dough into two equal halves (makes 2 pie crusts).
13. Gently flatten the dough with your hands and then proceed to roll the dough flat using rolling pin to desired thickness.
14. Gently roll the dough onto the rolling pin and place over pie pan.
15. Using fingers, press dough into pie pan. Gently shape out if needed and remove excess crust from edge.
16.  Fill with pie filling of your choice and enjoy!

P.S.  Both the pie and my 1st homemade pie crust got good reviews from all test kitchen lab rats.  On to the next experiment!