On 2007-05-27 20:10:09 -0700, "Roughrider50" > said:

> Previously I have been using store bought pie crusts. I'm going to try &
> make my own. The recipes call for using Crisco & a thing called a pastry
> blender to "cut" the Crisco into the flour. How exactly do I use a pastry
> blender? Is there some preferred technique? Also could I just use vegetable
> oil instead of Crisco? TIA


The thing that makes pie crust flaky is having bits of solid fat
(usually shortening, butter, or lard) between layers of the flour
mixture. Vegetable oil won't work--it will just saturate all the flour
and turn it to goo. A pastry blender is a gadget that's usually
U-shaped, with a handle across the open end of the U. It has multiple
blades or wires that you press down into the fat and flour mixture,
cutting it into smaller and smaller bits, until it's consistency of
coarse crumbs. If you can still see little lumps of solid shortening,
that's good. It's easier to over-blend it than to not mix it enough.

I can almost guarantee that your first attempt at making your own pie
crust will be better than the store-bought ones. But that doesn't mean
it's easy! I've been working at mine for years. Keep trying--it'll be
worth it!

--
MaryMc

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