Frugal Fridays - Flaky Pie Crust Mix

Mama B

Good morning and welcome to our Frugal Friday post! It's Mama B, here today, to pass on a bit of what I do to help "cut back", whether it is a financial or time saving (most of the time it's both!) helpful hint.

It is getting into a busy baking season for lots of us and that's what I want to share with you today. I do a Ton of baking every year since I give most of it away as Christmas gifts. One of the things my family loves is pies. They prefer the individual ones that are bigger than tarts, but smaller than 8 or 9 inch pies. I find it helps if I have this pastry mix on hand. I have never bought a pastry mix and I am sure that this one is just as quick and easy as one out of a box, and it's
homemade!

Flaky Pie Crust Mix

12 1/2 cups all- purpose flour
2 tbsp salt
5 cups vegetable shortening

Combine flour and salt in a large bowl. Mix well. With a pastry blender, cut in shortening until crumbly and looks like cornmeal in texture. Put it in an airtight container. Label and store in a cool, dry space. Use this within 10 to 12 weeks.

You can also put about 2 1/2 cups of the mix into 6 freezer bags. Seal, label, freeze. Use within 12 months.
This recipe makes about 16 cups of mix which should be enough for 6 double, 9 inch crust pies, or 12 single 9 inch crust pies.

Here is how to use the mix.

2 1/2 cups flaky pie crust mix
1/4 cup ice water
1 egg, beaten
1 tbsp white vinegar

Crumble the mix, if frozen. Put in a medium size mixing bowl. In a smaller bowl, mix together ice water, egg and vinegar. Sprinkle a spoonful of water at a time over the mix and toss with a fork until the dough barely sticks together. Roll out dough to desired thickness. Now, you can do this on a lightly floured surface, or between 2 pieces of lightly floured waxed paper. Place in a pie plate, flute the edges.

If the pie you are making  calls for a baked pie crust, preheat oven to 425 degrees F and bake 10 to 15 minutes, until very lightly browned. Cool.

For all other pies, use according to pie filling recipe.