Crusty Season

Well it's crust season. For me anyway. It is time for me to bake pies. I have started making crusts for the pies I will make this Thanksgiving. Pumpkin, apple, pecan and sweet potato are the flavors for this coming Thursday. After several experiments and a couple of crusty failures. I have finally achieved the perfect ratio of butter and shortening. The best crusts are made with 3/4 cups shortening and 1/4 cup butter. The butter has been on sale for the past 2 weeks and I have been buying it up for my crusts. But butter is NOT the ingredient to use on it's own in this heat and humidity. It is way too hot and humid here in South Florida to make a crust out of butter. The shortening needs to be there because it will hold up and create a light and flakey crust. My sources say that the best is lard but I just haven't used it this holiday. I will try to post a picture of my apple pie later! Wish me luck.