The Perfect Pie Crust

I am all about pies. I grew up making them with my grandmother who appeared at Thanksgiving with her apple and pumpkin pies until I was almost  30. She’d make the apple pies well before the holiday and freeze them, unbaked, to put in the oven on the morning of. You can’t do that with pumpkin pies, so she’d make the crusts, arrange them in the pie tins, and also pop them in the freezer.

Once she was no longer able to bake, the Thanksgiving pie making became my role. But I discovered her way was no longer the best way. She used Spry shortening back in the day before transitioning to margarine—and I didn’t want to use those ingredients. I needed a refresh. So several years ago I began a quest for the perfect crust that has taken me to several of San Diego’s best pastry chefs, who have taught me their techniques.

Of course, there’s no one way to make pie crust, no one set of perfect ingredients (although everyone boasts theirs is perfect), no one set-in-stone technique. And that diversity is the beauty of pie. But, as many a failed pie maker knows, it’s also the source of a lot of frustration. I needed mentors so I wouldn’t resort to buying a pre-made, store-bought crust.