Raspberry Ribbon Pie, Oh My!

Here's a great recipe that I made this last weekend-perfect for summertime! This is my mom's recipe, and everytime I take a pie somewhere, any kind of pie, people ask me about the crust. My mom makes the best crust-I guarantee you will like it. I dare you to try it!!

NO FAIL PIE CRUST:4 c flour, 2 T sugar, 1 1/2 t salt, 2 c Crisco, 1/2 c cold water, 1 T vinegar, 1 egg.

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. Add 2 generous cups of Crisco, mix until the size of peas. Mix last 3 ingredients together so egg is beaten and add to flour mixture. Mix until flour is moistened. Form into a log and cut into 4 equal pieces. Shape into disks. You may freeze up to 3 months. Roll on well-floured surface. Use plenty of flour-it's sticky! Keep crust as thick as you can because it is so flaky, but not too thick! This makes 4-10" crusts or 5-9" crusts. For a single crust pie (like the Rasp. Ribbon) place crust in pie dish and crimp edges. Prick all over with fork,place parchment paper in crust and fill with dry beans to help crust stand up as it bakes and keep its shape. Bake on lowest rack in oven at 400 for 10-15 mins or until just barely golden. Wait until crust cools to remove parchment.













RASPBERRY RIBBON PIE:
9 inch pie shell, baked and cooled
1 1/4 c boiling water
1-3 oz. pkg. raspberry jello
1/4 c sugar
DISSOLVE THE ABOVE, THEN ADD:
1-10 oz (or 12 oz) pkg. frozen raspberries
1 T fresh lemon juice
Stir till berries thaw; chill until partially set.
BLEND:
1-3 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/2 c powdered sugar
1 t vanilla
WHIP SEPARATELY:
1 c heavy cream
FOLD:
Part of whipped cream into cheese mixture, and then add the rest.
SPREAD:
Half of cheese mixture over bottom of pie shell; top w/half of rasp. mixture; repeat.
CHILL UNTIL SET; TOP WITH ADDITIONAL WHIP CREAM AND FRESH BERRIES IF DESIRED.