Zip lock bags. Largest you can find. 1.5 to 2 gal works best.

I use 1 gal bags but it is easier with larger. roll it in the bag leaving one corner of the zip lock open to let the air out while rolling.

Freeze the bag with the rolled dough. once frozen cut the bag open on 3 sides peel one side of the plastic bag off let the dough warm up a little so it is just a bit pliable without cracking placed dough side down onto a cold pie pan. slowly press the plastic bag side of the crust into the pan. once the dough forms to the shape of the pan. put it back into the freezer. once cold the plastic bag will just peel off. let crust become pliable to make your crimps in the edge on the pan.

When ready to use, take smaller ball out and roll between sheets of waxed paper into an 11” circle to fit a 9” pie pan. Loosen top sheet, flip over and loosen bottom sheet, then remove bottom sheet. Holding your hands over dough, flip over so that dough is now on the bottom of the waxed paper, supported by your hands. Position over the pie pan and gently guide into place. Press lightly to bottom edges to fit into pan. Trim edges, leaving a ½” overhang of dough. Fill with your choice of filling.

Roll out second ball of dough in same manner, making a slightly bigger round (approximately 13”) and place over filling as described above. Trim edges to ½”; roll and press top and bottom edges of dough together. Crimp as desired.

I will certainly try this recipe again, because I try to avoid eating unhealthy fats such as hydrogenated oils, which is precisely what Crisco is–pure trans fats! Sure, eating pies all the time can’t be too healthy either, but I am glad to rid my diet of such a harmful substance that increases my risk of cancer, heart disease, infertility, and alzheimer’s disease!

With regard to CI’s vodka recipe, I agree with your assessment. I also didn’t like that my crusts didn’t seem to brown as well as normal. But don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. I have found that I reduce the percentage of vodka by half then use a “normal” amount of liquid. I can use enough liquid to make the dough easy to handle without so much concern about developing the gluten.

With regard to butter, again, I agree whole-heartedly. I suggest that you try a cultured butter. I buy Organic Valley unsalted cultured butter. It’s priced about 25% more that other high quality butters, but the moisture content is much lower and it melts at a higher temperature. I can keep a stick of this at room temperature on a summer day and feel definite resistance from a butter knife. With conventional butter, it gets so soft that I can hardly keep it on the end of a knife. This is a great feature for pastry-making and will help ensure a flaky crust. I believe that Lurpack (Danish) and Kerrygold (Irish) are also cultured butters and are increasingly easy to find in regular grocery stores. All of them are great butters.

Jane – About the potato masher, if it’s one of those wire zig-zag models, it would probably work. If it’s one with the metal plate with holes in it, I don’t think it would work very well.