Press-in Flour Crusts

The Texas Hot's wonderful coconut cream pies had coconut in the crust and there was a thin layer of coconut patted into the base of the crust. It was not a traditional crust, but somewhat crumbly. If I remember correctly, it had flour in it - it was not like a Graham Cracker Crust. One of these recipes may replicate this crust. Also see Pecan Crust - can substitute Coconut for the pecans.

Press-in crusts works best for a single crust pie that is baked, such as Pumpkin Pie, Custard Pie, Pecan Pie, Apple Pie with a Streusel topping, and for pies where the crust is blind baked, such as Cream Pies (Banana Cream Pie, Coconut Cream, Chocolate Cream), Lemon Meringue, etc.

For a savory pie, like quiche, just leave out the sugar.

Easy Flour Crust

Use for cream pies. Add coconut for coconut cream pies.

1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cup flour

Mix the sugar and the butter. Cut in the flour. Press into pie pan. Bake at 360 degrees for 10 - 15 minutes.

No-Roll Pie Crust
from https://www.biggerbolderbaking.com/

My 5-Minute Pie Crust, or a “pat a pan pie crust,” actually comes from a traditional Amish recipe taught to young children. It’s perfect for kiddies who want to help out in the kitchen, and for those who love baking but rolling out a pie crust has become too much ache for the hands.

Note: Amish recipes use oil, not butter. She notes: This recipe has been changed and updated 11/23/20. It now includes melted butter rather than oil. This makes it flakey and buttery. Any previous issues have been resolved.

2 cups (10 oz/284 g) all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (3 oz/85 g) butter, melted
2-3 tablespoons cold water

Add the flour, sugar and salt to a 10-inch (25 ½ cm) pie pan and stir with a fork to combine.

Pour in the melted butter and 2 tablespoons of water to the dry ingredients and continue stirring until the dough clumps together. (If it seems very dry, add the additional tablespoon of water, a little at a time, until the dough comes together.)

With your fingers, press the dough into the bottom and all the way up the sides of pie pan, doing your best to make it evenly thick all around.

Now your pie crust is ready to be used! You can blind bake it, freeze it, or use it in any of our single crust pie recipes.

Crust for 1 9-inch or 10-inch (25 1/2 cm) pie

Press-In Butter Crust
from http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/

3/4 c. butter (no substitutions)
1/4 c. sugar
.13 tsp. salt
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour

In large bowl, with mixer on medium speed, beat butter, sugar, and salt until pale yellow and well blended, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula.

With mixer on medium-low speed, beat in egg, then vanilla, until well incorporated, scraping side of bowl.

With mixer on low speed, gradually beat in flour. Beat just until incorporated and dough forms large clumps. Divide dough in half and form each half into a 1-inch-thick disk. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour or until firm. (Dough can be refrigerated up to 1 day or frozen up to 3 months.)

With hands and fingers, press dough into even layer against bottom and up side of 9-inch pie plate or tart pan with removable bottom. Freeze 10 minutes or until firm. (Dough in pan can be covered tightly with plastic wrap and frozen up to 1 month.)

[These crusts would then be baked with some custard filling, for instance, pumpkin pie.]

YIELD: 2 (9-inch) crusts