On Wednesday, July 15, 2015 at 10:32:24 AM UTC-4, Kalmia wrote:
> I watched a woman on youtube and her pie crust handling techniques, which were laudable, but she used canola in her recipe.
>
> Would you ever do likewise, or what oil would you sub? Btw, I haven't seen lard in my markets in ages. My mother used Crisco, which I haven't owned in decades, but she DID turn out a light, flaky crust. What's a pie-maker to do?

Various cookbooks--BH&G, JOC (I think) have oil pie crust recipes. I
can't imagine how an oil crust could turn out flaky. Still, it's about
technique, I suppose. If you want to use oil (to experiment with the
youtube advice), you could use any neutral vegetable oil, such as
refined peanut oil.

I'm surprised you can't get lard. Every ordinary grocery store here
in and around Ann Arbor has it, either in the cured-meat department
or next to the vegetable shortening. I can even get unhydrogenated
lard at a local bakeshop that encourages people to learn to bake
for themselves.

I use butter on those rare occasions when I make pie crust.

Cindy Hamilton