Had to pick between butter and shortening for my pie crust

I was making apple pie for a family thing in Boise and couldn't decide. Butter gives flavor but shortening makes it flaky. I went with half and half because I'm a coward and the crust came out OK but not great. The bottom was a little soggy. Has anyone found a ratio that actually works?

2 comments

2 Comments

wilson.emma1mo ago

Totally feel you on that soggy bottom struggle, nothing worse after all that work. That cold fat trick is a lifesaver, I started grating my butter straight from the freezer and it made a huge difference. Have you tried letting the crust rest in the fridge before baking

beth_baker691mo ago

My Grandma swore by half butter, half Crisco and her pies never had a soggy bottom. I use a full tablespoon of ice water for every cup of flour, plus a splash of vinegar to keep the gluten from getting tough. Make sure your fat is really cold, like stick it in the freezer for 15 minutes before cutting it in. Also, blind bake the bottom crust for 10 minutes at 400 degrees before adding the filling, that fixed my soggy problem completely.