This is great for when you only need to do 1 pie, and don’t want to roll or make a mess. If company drops by, or even just for the family, this is a tasty flaky easy pie crust. A great crust recipe for fresh strawberry pie, especially well for lemon meringue, coconut cream pie and banana cream pie.

Easy No-Roll Pat-In Pastry

1 1/2 cups flour

2 tablespoons sugar (cane sugar good too)

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup oil (grapeseed, safflower, mild tasting)

3 tablespoons cold milk

Mix all dry ingredients in medium bowl (or directly into the pie plate). Combine oil & milk whisk (beat) until creamy, pour over dry ingredients and mix with a fork or fingers till all flour is damp – pat the dough up the sides of the pie plate and in the bottom. Flute the edges (make w pattern with fingers to make pretty crust). Fill with whatever filling you’ve chosen and bake to the recipe specification.

Topping:

Save some dough crumbs and sprinkle as topping, or whip some egg whites and add a meringue topping (add some sugar)…

Use a crumble or crisp topping – especially on fruit pies, even yummy on cherry, strawberry, rhubarb, pear and peach pies.

Or serve naked (the pie) with some whipped cream.

For a baked shell that will be filled later: prick the entire surface of the pastry with a fork (keeps it from bubbling) . Bake at 425 degrees F for 15 minutes or until light golden.

Both baked and unbaked pie shells can be frozen for use later.