100 Yr Old Pie Crust Recipe

This is the best pie crust I've ever eaten so I asked Nikki's permission to share it with all of you. It's a long video but will help those who have trouble making pie dough. It has really helped me. The recipe is below, enjoy!!

****I tried making this with a food processor and as careful as I was, it severely affected the results. It was not flaky and very ordinary. Try at your own risk!*****







Nikki's Grandmothers Pie Crust Recipe

3 cups of AP flour,
1/4 tsp. baking powder (you're going to add this to the AP flour, just like Nikki's Grandmother)
1&1/2 tsps. of salt
1 cup of lard or shortening (Nikkis Grandmother used lard)
1 tblsp. vinegar - white or apple cider, it doesn't matter
Some ice water. You may use close to a cup of ice water. It could be a little more or a little less.
The flour and lard being used is kept in the freezer at least 2 hours till very cold and lard is very cold
Start with 4 tblsp. very cold water (3 tblsp. ice water + 1 tblsp vinegar mixed with the ice water ). You may need to add up to (or a little more or less) 2/3 cups of ice water. This WILL include the 1 tblsp of vinegar added to the 1st 4 tblsp to equal 4 tblsp. AFTER the vinegar is added. Mix this into the flour with a fork to combine. Mix gingerly, not with a heavy hand! The amount of water will probably never be the same because of the amount of humidity in the air and in the flour itself. More than likely you will use 2/3 to 3/4 cups of ice water. Do NOT knead the dough, squeeze it instead. If it holds a ball easily, you've added enough water. WATCH THE VIDEO AS I TRY TO SQUEEZE THE DOUGH INTO A BALL, ADD MORE WATER AND SQUEEZE AGAIN. NO KNEADING, JUST SQUEEZING!!
FYI.....4 tblsps. equals 1/4 cup of liquid if measured
When mixing the lard or shortening with the flour, leave the lumps on the larger size. More like a dry pinto bean than a pea. Not like cornmeal at all, unless you don't want flaky crust. You need kinda lumpy to get flaky. This is according to Nikki & what I did to get my flakey crust.
Mix it quick, if your hands are hot, use 2 knives or a pastry cutter. Do it with a happy heart and a light hand. This isn't bread dough to take out your anger on. The less you handle it, the lighter and flakier it will turn out. The dough is never kneaded but only squeezed to determine the amount of water needed.
It's easier to turn the crust on your rolling surface than to roll sideways. A pastry cloth is a pretty good idea. You can keep it in a zip bag in the freezer, so it doesn't get bugs, all floured and ready for next time.
Roll your crust onto your pin to put it in the pie pan. It's easier to get it centered just right. If you roll your crusts a little thinner at the edge, you can turn them under to flute and they don't become giant chunks of crust nobody eats.
If judging thickness is a problem, you can buy bands for your rolling pin, or use something like chopsticks
I have never frozen my grandmother's pie crust. They didn't have freezers in the 1880's or 1890's when she started making this recipe