I grew up near Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania Dutch country, I spent a summer during college helping out at an Amish dairy near Lancaster. This recipe was given to me by one of the women there.
Ingredients
- 1 cup lard, very soft
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup boiling water
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
Directions
Place the lard and salt in a large bowl and beat it a bit with a tablespoon (or an electric beater, if available) until the lard is completely softened. Pour boiling water over the lard and blend again. Let this mixture cool to room temperature, but stir often so water and lard won't separate. (However, it is not the end of the world, if it does, just remix it.) Stir in flour and form the mixture into a ball. If you use your hands, do it quickly. Chill several hours or overnight then let the cold dough sit out at room temperature for about 30 minutes before rolling out.
If making a shell to fill later or making a prebaked crust, preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Roll out portion of dough to 1/8 inch thickness. Transfer crust to a piepan and pat it in snugly. Form a decorative edging along the rim and trim off the edges. Prick surface of the pastry all over with a fork. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden. Check to see if you need to prick air bubbles or if the crust begins to slip during baking, pat it back up with a fork.
Variation:
For large amounts to freeze, use proportions below. Wrap each wedge in plastic wrap, then bag it and freeze it. Any unused portion can be refrozen.
For 9 (nine) crusts: use 6 cups (3 lbs) lard, 2 tbs salt 3 cups boiling water and 18 cups (about 5 lbs) flour.
For 12 crusts: use 8 cups (4 Lbs) lard, 8 teaspoons salt, 1 quart boiling water and 24 cups (about 7 pounds) flour.
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Submitted 6/13/05.
Source: my own handwritten recipe files
Submitted By: Cyndy Iskow
CIskow@AOL.com
Pennsylvania Dutch Pie Crust