Oil Pie Shell

Many bakers believe that only solid fats, loaded with saturated and trans fats, are necessary for a flaky crust. But our heart-healthier oil pastry proves them wrong.

Ingredients:

1 1⁄3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1⁄3 cup canola oil or nut-flavored oil
2 tablespoons very cold water, plus      
  1 to 2 teaspoons additional
  water, as needed
3/4 teaspoon cider vinegar

Instructions:

1. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour and salt. Drizzle the oil over the flour mixture. Using a pastry blender, cut the oil into the flour mixture until combined and large crumbs form.
2. Combine the 2 tablespoons water and vinegar in a dish or small bowl. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the water mixture over the flour mixture; gently toss with a fork. Continue sprinkling enough of the remaining water mixture and the additional water, 1 teaspoon at a time, while gently tossing and pushing the mixture together with your hands until the dough is moistened and forms a soft ball.
3. Place the pastry dough between 2 large sheets of waxed paper. Roll the dough from the center to the edges to form a 13-inch circle. (If the dough sticks to the paper during rolling, very lightly dust the pastry dough with additional flour.) Remove the top sheet of waxed paper. Using the bottom sheet of paper, turn the pastry over and transfer it to 9-inch pie plate. Carefully peel off the paper and ease the pastry into the pie plate. Trim the pastry edge to 1/2 inch beyond the edge of the pie plate. Fold under the excess pastry and crimp the edge.

Click here for a Pumpkin Pie recipe that uses this crust!

Prep Time:

Start-to-Finish Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 8 servings