Pie Crust

For 1 pie crust—

1 ½ cups flour

2 tsp. sugar

½ tsp. salt

mix in dry ingredients, add:

½ cup shortening

cut in shortening until dough resembles coarse crumbs, add:

1/3 cup liquid (1 beaten egg and fill rest of measuring cup with milk)

For 2 pie crusts—

3 cups flour

1 TBLS + 1 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. salt

mix in dry ingredients, add:

1 cup shortening

cut in shortening until dough resembles coarse crumbs, add:

2/3 cup liquid (1 beaten egg and fill rest of measuring cup with milk)

Roll out until 1/4” thick.  To transfer to pie plate, fold carefully in half and then in half again.  Carefully pick up and place in pie plate—unfolding to be flat and centered in pie plate—do not stretch the dough, place gently in pie plate.

Using a fork, prick every few inches into the dough.  .  If baking filling in crust, add filling and follow instructions on filling for baking.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes—until golden brown.  Let cool before adding filling.

Chocolate Pudding/Chocolate Cream Pie

1 cup sugar

1/2 - 3/4 cup cocoa powder (depending how rich you want it)

½ cup + 2 TBLS flour or 5 TBLS cornstarch (1/4 cup + 1 TBLS)

½ tsp. salt

mix together in a saucepan and add:

3 cups milk (can use powdered milk with hot water or pre-heat the milk in the microwave to speed up cooking time—if using cornstarch, must add to cold milk)

Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture boils and thickens.  Cook 2 minutes longer.  Remove from heat.

Temper (this means to stir a small amount of hot cream filling into egg yolks while stirring quickly so eggs do not cook.  Continue adding small amounts into yolks until yolks are mixed into cream mixture thoroughly).

4 beaten egg yolks

Add yolk mixture to saucepan with rest of cream mixture. 

Cook for 2 minutes longer, stirring constantly (it shouldn't boil, if you have a thermometer, don't go above 176°).

  

Remove from heat.

Stir in:

¼ cup butter

1 tsp. vanilla

Cool to room temperature and pour into:

1 baked pie crust or chocolate cookie crust—delicious with chocolate whipped topping spread on top and grated chocolate for garnish.