Waaaay back in the old days when I was in a Home Ec class in junior high, the teacher taught us this easy, perfect pie crust recipe. You know if she would attempt to teach this recipe to a bunch of 13-14 year old girls, it’s got to be easy! We had virtually NO cooking or baking experience and this “Water Whip” pie crust turned out perfect! I have had this pie crust recipe written on a 3×5″ card in my recipe box for years! There are just about as many pie crust recipes out there as there are pie bakers, and everyone has their old standby. If you have ever thought that making homemade pie crust is a pain, think about trying this one. You don’t need to drag out your food processor (and clean it!) and you don’t need any special kitchen tools. Not even a pastry blender! If all you have is a fork, you can make a perfect pie crust.

This recipe will make 2 baked pie shells or 1 double crust pie.

[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:48]

Pour the boiling water/milk mixture into the shortening and using a fork or a small whisk, whip it briskly until creamy. It will be smooth and creamy, about the consistency of mayonnaise. (This is why it’s named the “Water Whip” method.)

All at once, pour the flour/salt mixture into the creamy shortening and begin to stir with a round the bowl motion to combine the ingredients until it cleans the sides of the bowl. (Don’t over-mix or the crust will not be tender and flaky.)

Divide dough in half and press each half into a flattened circle. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for about 30 minutes. You will notice little flecks of shortening throughout the dough. This is exactly how it should be. These little flecks will guarantee your pie will have a flaky crust!

Roll out each half between 2 sheets of wax paper.

Form into pie shell (be careful not to stretch the dough as you place it in the pie tin or it will shrink when baked.)