Name: Homemade Piecrust
Yield: 12-14 Shortcake Squares or 1 9-inch Pie
Ingredients: 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon salt; 2/3 cup chilled shortening (such as Crisco); Ice water

Those who know me well know I don’t love to make desserts. Baking is more of an exact science, and I’m a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kind of gal. In fact, I am prone to hand that course off to the first guest who offers—so heads up. But when I do decide to make a dessert, I actually enjoy it—well that is, if it turns out!

When I was growing up in Mayfield, Kentucky, my mother always had a delicious, homemade sweet sitting on the counter. My grandmother, Mama Lil, lived a few houses away, and she did the same.

“I was surrounded by goodness.”

Dessert was a popular topic between these two. They discussed it A LOT! I remember when Mama Lil ate a bite of any dessert, she would always say “This is larruping.”

larruping lar-uh-ping

Very; exceedingly. That was a larruping good meal.

With a December 26^thbirthday, I would often ask for a pie instead of a cake. It didn’t matter what kind of pie, as long as it was made with a homemade piecrust.

One recipe will make enough for a bottom crust and decorative top for a 9-inch pie.

So today we are going to rehash my homemade piecrust recipe that is in Leslie’s Party Diaries (page 213) and use it in a couple different ways. You probably have all the ingredients on hand. It is so simple and can be done in advance. I’d rather make a homemade crust than drive to the store to buy a store-bought one. It’s that easy.

Even the little scraps are worth baking. Don’t waste a single bite. You can substitute vanilla ice cream for whipped cream if you prefer. I sometimes do both!

If you master this four-ingredient recipe the options are endless. Last-minute company will be a piece of “pie.”

It can be as casual as you want it to be. It all tastes the same. Delicious!

Homemade Piecrust

Makes 12 to 14 squares for shortcake or 1 (9-inch) pie

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup chilled shortening, such as Crisco

Ice water

I prefer to use Crisco shortening that comes in a block. It is so easy to cut off the exact measurement and cube for quick blending.

Combine flour and salt in a medium bowl. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Add ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until ingredients are moistened (about 5 to 6 tablespoons); gently shape dough into a flat disk.

Roll disk to ¼-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface.

Leslie Byars Register

Yields 12-14 Shortcake Squares or 1 9-inch Pie

Homemade Piecrust

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Ingredients

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup chilled shortening (such as Crisco)
Ice water

Instructions

Combine flour and salt in a medium bowl.
Cut in shortening with a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly.
Add ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until ingredients are moistened (about 5 to 6 tablespoons)
Gently shape dough into a flat disk.
Roll disk to ¼-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface.

https://dearpartydiary.com/raise-your-hand-if-you-dont-like-to-make-desserts/

Using a ruler and fluted pastry wheel makes a pretty decorative lattice for any kind of pie.

It doesn’t matter if it’s perfect. I promise, no one will complain.

One recipe makes about 12 to 14 (3-inch) squares for shortcake with a few extra scraps for tasting. It’s perfectly acceptable to freely cut the squares, but I used a ruler to get an exact count to go with the recipe.

Baking Shortcake Squares: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place squares on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Allow them to cool on a wire rack before storing in an air tight tin. These can be made several days in advance and frozen if desired.

Learn from Leslie: For a 9-inch pie with decorative crust, divide dough into two equal portions, using one for the bottom crust and the other for the top.