Since starting this blog I’ve mentioned a couple times how much I like pie. (I seriously really like pie). I couldn’t get it out of my head so I decided to make a coconut cream pie this weekend. It was going to be amazing and I was finally going to satisfy my pie craving but I didn’t know what type of pie crust to make. Several questions about pie crust soon flooded my brain. Should I use butter or lard? What about shortening? What’s the difference? What are some tips to make it tender and flaky? How do I prevent the crust from shrinking? Which pie crusts are best with certain fillings? What is the difference between a pie crust and a tart crust?
Now I’ve made a few pie crusts before but I never really took the time to figure out which had the best flavor and texture. So that’s my mission…I’m going to learn as much as I can about pie crusts and report my findings here. I suppose this will be my first series (I’m excited). I know there is already a lot of information on the internet about what pie fat to use and different methods but I wanted to experience it for myself. To start, I bought three different pie fats (pictured above) butter, shortening and lard to experiment with. Yay!
So off I go…the coconut cream pie will have to wait. I’m on a mission :).
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I use vegetable oil in one of my pie crusts. It’s my mother-in-law’s old recipe, and it makes a delicious crust.
I’m not familiar with vegetable oil in a pie crust. I’ll be excited to learn about it!
I’m so happy to follow along on your “mission.” Pie crust is one of those “shaky” areas for me (sometimes I get it right and other times it goes horribly wrong). Would love to know the best method/ingredients since berry season is quickly approaching and I’d like to tackle some berry pies.
Yes, this will be an adventure for the both of us! Berry pies sound delicious and make me even more excited!
I think I’ve only used shortening before. I can’t wait to see your results!
Also, coconut cream pie goes really great with complicated board games. Just sayin…
oh Jenny I love you :). That’s actually a really good idea b/c I bought all the ingredients for the coconut cream pie and didn’t make it! Don’t be surprised if I show up with pie :).