Aunt Helen knew what she was doing... trust me

There is no pie I love more than a creamy, gingery/cinnamony pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving. I enjoy all variations too—classic, full-out, bake the pumpkin from scratch; Libby's finest; and even the newest one to my repertoire: cream cheese bottom, pumpkin/pudding top (it's deliciously different).

What is an absolute necessity, however, is my family's recipe for pie crust. Once upon a time, in my family existed an Aunt Helen (by the way of Grandma Dilley, I believe), and she had an out-of-this-world version of pie crust: buttery, flaky, and just salty enough to cut through the sweet of the pie without interfering too much.

Without that crust, I just don't feel right as I dollop a mound of Cool Whip on my pumpkin wedge and—as part of our weirdo family tradition—slap a slab of Velveeta cheese on my plate before digging in.

With that in mind, I feel it's vital to share the family pie crust recipe. Try it. Aunt Helen knew what she was doing.

Aunt Helen's Water Whip Pie Crust

• 3/4 c Butter Crisco shortening
• 1 TB milk
• 1/4 c boiling water
• 2 c flour
• 1 tsp salt

Whip shortening, milk and boiling water together until creamy. Add flour and salt, mix together. Roll out dough. Makes two pie crusts.

BONUS info: if you have extra, sprinkle some sugar and cinnamon on the crust and bake in oven until flaky. Your kids will LOVE it!