It's getting to be pie making time, so for those of you who need a fast and easy crust, no rolling pin required, do I have the recipe for you!
Whenever I get all the ingredients out, I go ahead and make up several "Pie Crust Mix" bags (in sandwich bags). The next time I go to make a pie, I can just grab the mix of the dry ingredients, add the oil and milk, and I'm good to go. My dad actually requests my pie crust mix for gift giving occasions (Christmas, birthday, Father's Day, I ran out of pie mix day, etc)
I've used this recipe for several years and it hasn't failed me a single time. I share it far and wide now
Pat-in-pan Pie Crust
Ingredients:
1 1/2 c plus 3 Tbs all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c vegetable oil
3 Tbs cold milk
Directions:
Place the flour, sugar, and salt in the pie pan and mix with your fingers until blended. In a measuring cup, combine the oil and milk and beat with a fork until creamy. Pour all at once over the flour mixture. Mix with a fork until the flour mixture is completely moistened. Pat the dough with your fingers, first up the sides of the plate, then across the bottom. Flute the edges*. Shell is now ready to be filled. If you are preparing a shell to fill later, or your recipe requires a prebaked crust, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Prick the surface of the pastry with a fork and bake 15 minutes, checking often, and Pricking more if needed.
Variation: For a 10-inch shell, use 2 cups all-purpose flour; 2 teaspoons sugar; 1 teaspoon salt; 2/3 cup vegetable oil; 3 tablespoons milk.
"Quick, crisp but tender, it needs no rolling out. I highly recommend this pie crust, especially if you think you can't make a good pie. This recipe can only be used for one-crust pies - you Can't double the recipe and roll out a top crust**. The mixture is just too tender to transfer from the pastry board or cloth to the pie." (Marcia Adams) Cooking from Quilt Country
* I usually only bring the crust to the top and don't make edges. I hate having to watch them so they don't burn, so I just don't make them.
**True, you can't really roll out a top crust, but I have made a top crust anyway, just flattening portions in my palms and placing it on top of the pie. It wasn't pretty, but it worked.