Many members of our Baking Circle swear by the convenience and quality of their piecrusts made with vegetable oil. They also like the fact that they can have a crisp, tasty crust with no trans fats or cholesterol. If you're intimidated by the idea of getting out the rolling pin, this is the crust for you. Mix it right in the pie plate and pat it into place.

This recipe makes enough for a single deep dish crust; to make a two-crust pie, double the recipe and take out 1 1/4 cups of the mixture; this will become your top crust. You can add cinamon, sugar, even a bit of chopped crystallized ginger if you like. After you fill the bottom crust, sprinkle the topping evenly over it. It will bake into a crispy, flavorful crumb crust as the pie bakes.

1 1/2 cups (6 1/4 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup (2 3/8 ounces) vegetable oil
3 to 4 tablespoons (1 1/2 to 2 ounces) water or milk

Whisk together the flour, salt, sugar and baking powder. This can be done right in the pie pan, if you like. Whisk together the oil and water, then pour over the dry ingredients. Stir with a fork until the dough is evenly moisened. Pat the doug across the bottom of the pie pan and up the sides. A flat-bottomed measuring cup can help you make the bottom even. Press the dough up the sides of the pan with your fingers, and flute the top. Fill and bake.

Nutrition information per serving (1/8 of pie shell, 33g): 144 cal, 9g fat, 2g protein, 13g complex carbohydrates, 1g dietary fiber, 133mg sodium 22mg potassium, 1mg iron, 16mg phosphorus.

This recipe reprinted from The Baking Sheet Newsletter, Vol. XVII, No. 6, Holiday 2006 issue.