So…despite the fact that it’s 93 degrees right now  {seriously…I’m in CANADA! Shouldn’t it be nice and cool?} Autumn is here! And what better way to celebrate the season than with food? So I’m going to share my mom’s awesome pie crust recipe with you {hi, Mom!} as well as the secret to getting the crust to turn out great! You can squirrel away the info for Thanksgiving, or make a pie now, just because pie is yummy.

Also…I’m sharing this picture of me in which I look like I’m twelve. You’re welcome.

Pie Crust

• 3 cups flour
• 1 and 1/3 cup shortening
• 1 tsp salt

mix together then add

• 1/2 cup very cold water
• 1 beaten egg and
• 1 tsp vinegar

bake at 475 degrees for 8-10 minutes

Now, for the “secret!”

When it calls for “very cold water” it means very, very, VERY cold water. Get that water as cold as you possibly can!

This recipe should make enough dough to do a lattice or to make dough leaves like the pie in the picture. Just use leaf-shaped cookie cutters or cut them freehand with a knife. You can also glaze the leaves with egg white if you’d like, or sprinkle them with cinnamon-sugar.  When I was a kid my mom would roll out the leftover dough, sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar, then bake it on a cookie sheet. We could then break off pieces as “pie-crust cookies.”

What’s one of your favorite “fall foods?”