Day 5… Freezer Pie Crusts

I like to make a lot of pies.  And on cold winter days we love quiche or pot pie for dinner. 

It is so fiddly, though, to make pie crust one or two at a time.  (And clean up the mess over and over!).  Much easier mixing up one large batch of pie crust to store in the freezer.  Having a supply of ready-made pie crust is worth the initial effort!!

My recipe calls for Crisco, but if I have enough, I like to substitute butter for half of the shortening.  I weigh 1.5 pounds each of butter and Crisco when gathering the ingredients.

And because this amount of ingredients doesn’t fit in my Kitchenaid, I end up using my hands to mix in the ice water :) 

FREEZER PIE CRUST

3 pound can Crisco vegetable shortening
5 pounds all-purpose flour
3 cups ice water
2 tablespoons salt

1.   Mix flour and salt in a very large bowl or pan.

2.   Cut in Crisco until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal

3.   Add water all at once and mix very gently until the dough forms into a ball. 

4.   Divide into 18-20 portions and pat each into a disc.  Flash freeze OR wrap each disc in plastic wrap and store in Ziploc bags in the freezer.  May be stored in freezer up to 1 year.   

5.   When ready to make a pie, thaw overnight in the refrigerator.  Dust dough, board and rolling pin with flour and roll into pie crust.