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- Can you put up a recipe for meatloaf? I totally want some, but don't know how to make one... --Bebs
- Hi Betty, A long time ago my daughter gave me a card with a delicious recipe for cinnamon rolls. I lost it and I'm...
- I used to get the cards in the mail but one recipe has gone missing from my collection and no one will fess up. It was...
- I need to know how to make chicken and dumplings, like the one they make at Cracker Barrel. --Norma
Tender Pie Crust
How do I make good pie crusts? Mine never come out good -- they are always very tough. Thank you!
--Marlenea
Hi Marlenea,
Oh, I know this can be a problem. Here are a few of my suggestions for tender, not tough, pie crust:
--What makes a tender and flaky crust is the tiny pieces of fat mixed with the flour, so you don't want to mix the dough too much. And you want to keep the butter very cold, so make sure all the ingredients are cold when starting; you might even want to put the butter or shortening in the freezer for about 15 minutes before starting. And be sure to use ice-cold water if the recipe calls for adding water to the dough. Also, try not to handle the dough with your fingers too much as that can warm up the dough and cause the fat to melt into the flour.
--Use pastry flour or all-purpose flour. Bread flour is not good for pie crust.
--When choosing the fat, there’s always a trade-off between flavor (butter) and tenderness (shortening or lard). So if you really want a tender crust, use all shortening, but it won’t taste as good as a butter crust. I usually compromise and use half butter, half shortening.
--Go easy on the flour--too much will definitely make your crust tough. If you’re baking in humid weather your dough might be a little wetter than it should be, tempting you to add more flour. Don’t do this, as it will put off the ratio of fat and flour. Instead, if it’s humid, at the beginning you should add a little less liquid than the recipe calls for; you can always add more if the dough is too dry.
To get you started, you might want to try the dough in my Rustic Apple Tart -- it works fine if fitted into a pie dish. Hope this helps!

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QuestionDo you have any chicken and rice casserole recipes? Something that is a one-dish meal! --KenMarch 2012
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Question
Do you have any problems with the vegetarian, vegan ways of eating? I don’t see any meatless, dairyless, etc. recipes being your mainstay.
—Stephen
May 2012 -
QuestionI have not been able to master cooking a whole chicken to make it flavorful, juicy, and with a crispy tasty skin. Also, I usually cook it with veggies surrounding it while it cooks. Any suggestions? --Laura AnnMarch 2012
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Question
I have some frozen fresh peaches. Can I make a peach crisp with them?
-SueAugust 2012 -
Question
Hi Grandma!
April Fool’s Day is a very big deal in my family. I want to do something for dinner or dessert to really wow my kids. Any ideas?
–Chris
May 2012 -
Question
Do you have a cold pasta salad recipe for a picnic?
—Barb
May 2012 -
Question
Do I need to drain the liquid from my zucchini before I use it for baking?
-KathySeptember 2012 -
Question
My recipe says to add “cooked chicken.” I have some frozen chicken breasts; how should I cook them? And how much chicken do I need to make 2 cups chopped chicken?
--JudyApril 2012 -
QuestionI would like to make potato salad that stays creamy, like what you buy at the store. Mine are always dry; what can I do to make it good? Thank you. --DotMarch 2012
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Question
I need a good recipe for meat loaf that holds together.
--BillieApril 2012






What Others Have To Say
Thanks, GolfWidow, for these tips! I haven't tried using oil in a crust, but I certainly will the next time I get out the rolling pin and pie pan.
Make an oil crust pastry for the most tender crust.
For 2 crust pie:
3 1/2 c flour
make a "well" in the flour & pour in 1 cup canola or vegetable oil (I like to use canola as not only is it heart healthy, but it also is very light flavor).
Mix until it resemples pea sized balls (don't over mix)
Add 6 T ICE COLD water.
Mix until mixture starts to form a ball (may need to add up 1-2 more T water)
Divide in 1/2 & roll out between sheets of wax paper. crust is VERY soft. peel off top layer of wax paper & use other layer to work with crust as you flip it into the pie plate & then peel off remaining paper carefully fitting crust into pie dish. Re-use wax paper to roll out top crust cut. Trim edges of crust as ususal.
Cooking is Chemistry & Biology: It is the gluten Protien) in flour that makes pie crust tough. The more you work the flour, the more gluten is released (you WANT to kneed bread dough to release the gluten).
Puff type pastry raises & is flakey because the water (both what you put in & the water in the fat used) turns to steam & expands. For the flakiest pastry use cold dough & a hot oven. Good luck!