Pie Pastry using Oil

There are always those times in the kitchen where the cook will scratch her head for ideas when she's run out of an important ingredient or is serving someone with diet restrictions. 

This pastry has no butter, lard or shortening but is made using vegetable oil. The pastry is easy to make, but there are a few tricks to rolling it out and fitting it into the pie plate. It bakes up tender and flakey. Once you've tried it...come back and let me know what you think.

This is enough dough for 2 single 9" pie crusts or one 9"with a bottom and top crust.

• 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour, measure it loosely, do not pack it down
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup, plus 1 tbsp vegetable oil, I like to use a glass measuring cup so that the liquid amount is exact
• 4 tbsp ice water

1. Measure first three dry ingredients into a mixing bowl. Stir to combine.
2. Add oil and stir until the pastry begins to look lumpy.
3. Add the ice water and continue to stir forming a soft dough. 
4. IF the dough is dry and not coming together add 1 tsp more oil at a time. Do NOT add more water to make a wetter dough. 
5. Cut 2 pieces of wax paper that are at least 12" long. Sprinkle lightly with flour and place dough in middle. Sprinkle lightly with flour and top with second piece of wax paper.
6. Roll dough that is between the sheets of wax paper. Once you have your desired size of pastry rolled out, carefully peel back top piece of wax paper.
7. Pull the pie plate close to the pastry and carefully lift and flip it into the pie plate, moving it gently  to fit the pan. Peel back the wax paper.
8. Bake shell empty, or fill with desired filling, top with second crust if pie calls for a top crust and bake.

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