Vegetable Oil Pastry Shell

Here's an old recipe from the USDA that maybe heart healthy as it uses vegetable oil to make a pie crust. Choose a heart healthy oil, one recommended by your medical provider, and if heart health is not a concern this recipe is easy to make as it requires no cutting in of the shortening.

Ingredients

 * 1 cup flour
 * 1/2 teaspoon salt
 * 2 tablespoons water
 * 1/4 cup vegetable oil

Steps

 * 1) Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
 * 2)  Mix flour and salt together in a bowl.
 * 3)  Mix 3 tablespoons of the flour mixture with the water to make a paste.
 * 4)  Lightly mix oil with remaining flour mixture until crumbly.
 * 5)  Stir flour paste into flour-oil mixture.
 * 6)  Shape dough into a ball.
 * 7)  Roll pastry dough out between two sheets of wax paper (or food-safe plastic wrap) until the pastry is 1-inch wider than the pie plate.
 * 8)  Remove top paper (or plastic wrap).
 * 9)  Align pastry over pie plate.
 * 10)  Invert pastry over pie plate.
 * 11)  Remove wax paper (or plastic wrap).
 * 12)  Fit pastry into pie plate.
 * 13)  Use hands to fit the pastry into the pie plate. Even up the edges and trim the edges, if needed.
 * 14)  Leave a 1/2-inch edge around the outside edge of the pie plate to allow for crimping.
 * 15)  Crimp the pastry edge with a fork or use your fingers.
 * 16)  Prick the bottom and sides of the pastry with a fork.
 * 17)  Bake until light brown, about 11 to 14 minutes.

Tips

 * For a double crust follow the same directions above except double the ingredients. Shape into two balls of pastry dough. Roll out. Leave one pastry round a bit bigger than the other. Fit the larger round into the pie plate. Fill the crust with favorite ingredients. Top with remaining pastry. Crimp and seal. Cut slits in the top crust. Bake as usual.
 * Unbaked pastry shell: Follow above directions but do not bake. Fill with chosen filling and then bake.

Things You'll Need

 * Mixing bowls and spoons
 * Pie plate (pie pan)
 * Fork
 * Rolling pin
 * Wax paper or plastic wrap

Sources and Citations

 * Breads, Cakes and Pies in Family Meals: A Guide for Consumers, USDA, 1979