A historical pastry from The White House cook book; a comprehensive cyclopedia of information for the home .. (1913). This rule is for two pies. Handle the dough very lightly and mix as little as possible. Don't waste leftover crust - make small squares with raspberry jelly for tea time treats.
Preserved exactly as written in the original source
Rub thoroughly the shortening into the flour
Mix together with half a teacupful of cold water, or enough to form a rather stiff dough
Mix as little as possible, just enough to get it into shape to roll out
It must be handled very lightly
Modern guidance to help you succeed with this vintage recipe
The combination of butter and lard creates an ideal fat blend: butter provides flavor and flakiness through its water content (which creates steam), while lard contributes superior tenderness due to its larger fat crystals that coat flour proteins more effectively. Keeping fats cold prevents them from fully incorporating into the flour, maintaining distinct fat particles that create flaky layers when steam forms during baking. The baking powder provides insurance against tough crust by creating additional lift, compensating for potential gluten development from overmixing.
The dough can be made up to 2 days ahead, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerated. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before rolling. Allow refrigerated dough to sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before rolling if it's too firm to work with.
Unbaked pie crust can be rolled out, fitted into the pie plate, wrapped well in plastic wrap, and frozen for up to 1 month. Baked unfilled crusts can be stored at room temperature, loosely covered, for up to 2 days. Filled pies should be stored according to their filling requirements.
AI-generated tips from Chef Cecil's culinary database
The dough can be made up to 2 days ahead, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerated. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before rolling. Allow refrigerated dough to sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before rolling if it's too firm to work with.
Unbaked pie crust can be rolled out, fitted into the pie plate, wrapped well in plastic wrap, and frozen for up to 1 month. Baked unfilled crusts can be stored at room temperature, loosely covered, for up to 2 days. Filled pies should be stored according to their filling requirements.
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