Perfect Pie Crust for One

I based this pie crust recipe on one I've used for probably 40 years or so ever since I finally decided to start making my crusts from scratch.  I'll show you a few of the pages from that booklet - I can't remember for sure but I feel like it was a Gold Medal flour booklet or maybe Pillsbury or Betty Crocker.  Anyway, it has been my go-to-pie book since I discovered it at my mom's house one time and asked her if I could have it.  I only seem to have pages 14 through 33 now but fortunately, I also typed up the actual crust recipe and keep it in with my notebook of favorite recipes.

Pretty awful isn't it?  But it certainly shows how much it's been used!

Anyway, based on the recipe for a one crust pie, this is what I made when I wanted to make a chicken pot pie after Thanksgiving.  (see recipe for that HERE)









One Crust Pie for One

6 Tbs flour
2 Tbs lard *
2 tsp cold water
about 1/4 tsp salt

Cut the lard into the flour and salt - I've always used two knives although at Thanksgiving, I used my new mini food chopper which worked beautifully.  For this small amount though I used the knives and when that didn't seem to go fast enough for me, I decided to heck with it and used a dinner fork, kind of chopping at the lumps and slightly mashing them against the side of the bowl.  Sprinkle the water in and mix with a fork until it begins to hold together.  Keep working at it until you can shape it into a patty and then wrap it in Saran and refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour or so.  Roll it out on a floured surface (and I use a "stocking" on my rolling pin) and there you are.  One wonderful, flaky piecrust to use in your favorite recipe.  If you're making a two-crust pie, you would double these amounts, make two patties and roll them out.  This will be plenty for one of those 4" pie tins.

I made this the first time because I was desperate for a home-made chicken pot pie.  The recipe for that is HERE.