Found out my grandma's 'secret' pie crust trick was in a 1975 Betty Crocker cookbook

I was flipping through her old cookbook from a yard sale in Springfield and saw the exact note about using vodka instead of water. She always acted like it was her own magic trick. Kinda blew my mind that her big secret was a 50 year old published tip. Anyone else have a family baking 'secret' that turned out to be super common?

3 comments

3 Comments

troy_ross2mo ago

Oh man, that's funny. I read somewhere that the vodka trick is super common now, it keeps the crust flaky. My aunt swore by adding a pinch of sugar to her tomato sauce like it was a big deal.

haydenp952mo ago

I mean, it's just pie crust and sauce, right? Not sure why @troy_ross's aunt made it sound like a state secret.

perez.barbara1mo agoMost Upvoted

Right, because a single grain of sugar is going to turn her marinara into a Michelin star masterpiece. @troy_ross, your aunt sounds like she was guarding the recipe for the nuclear launch codes. I bet she also put a bay leaf in everything and acted like it was a secret ingredient from a wizard. Vodka in crust is legit though, my pastry game changed when I started swapping a splash of water for it. Maybe she just needed to keep her hands busy while she watched you eat it.