Slice butter into chunks. Keep cold. Cut butter and Crisco into flour until mixture is combined, leaving large chunks the size of walnuts.
Beat eggs and add to water. Water should be very cold and can contain tiny ice chips for best results. Stir in salt and vanilla.
Slowly add liquid ingredients to dry ingredients to form a pie crust type dough. Do not overwork.
Divide into 4 pieces. Dust each lightly with flour, gather into a ball, flatten into a disk shape and wrap in plastic wrap. Store in a large ziploc bag in the refrigerator for a minimum of one hour or overnight. Remove and allow to sit at room temperature 20-30 minutes before using.
Remove crust from refrigerator, allow to sit 20 minutes or so, and roll out four crusts. Grease and flour 2 large, deep dish pie pans and line with two crusts.
Combine ingredients for filling and divide into two portions. If you're using an electric mixer to combine the filling ingredients, be sure to leave speed on the lowest setting - you don't want to beat air into the mixture.
Cut top crusts into 1 1/2 inch wide lattice strips with fancy rolling wavy-edged cutter or if you don't have one, a sharp knife.
Pour filling evenly into the two pie crusts. Brush the edges of the pie bottom with milk.
Build a lattice top crust for the pie by weaving lattice strips to cover the pie, interlacing strips.
Beat reserved egg yolk with one tablespoon strega liquor. Brush top of pie crust generously with this mixture.
Crimp well to seal where crusts meet.
Note: If you don't have the time, you can just use a plain crust top, skipping the lattice. Or make it an open top pie, with only one crust, as you would a pumpkin pie.
Bake at 350 degrees F. for about 40 minutes, or until a thin knife inserted in center comes out nearly dry.
When cool, sprinkle liberally with confectioner's sugar and serve.
Makes two large pies.
Submitted by: CM
