I use the premade pie shells whenever I can. Never had any complaints!
I use premade for my deeeelicious pecan pies.
Scratch - always (3 to 1 flour to shortening ratio)
Have many friends that always request the same xmas present over & over - one of my Dutch Crumb Apple Pies.
I utilize a lot of graham cracker crust in the summer time have also made crust of finely chopped pecans (substituted chopped nuts for graham cracker crumbs) for a friend that suffers from Celiac.
I made a pumpkin pie today. I used a Pilsbury pre-made roll-out pie crust for the first time ever, just because there was so much else going on in the kitchen, hand-made pie crust would have added to the complexity. It was very easy. The pie turned out OK. The crust is pretty much ho-hum. Better than a frozen crust would be, but lacking in texture and character.
Most often I make an apple pie, sometimes with other fruit added, such as cherries (canned) or raisins or raspberries (frozen). Usually I make my own crust, using butter. I switched over from crisco several years ago. I carve a picture in the top for steam vents, and have fun with the fluting. One time I used bread flour instead of all-purpose by mistake, and it turned out really nice. I usually brush the top crust (if there is one) with milk and sprinkle cinnamon sugar on it before baking–something from the crisco package recipe.
Last summer I tried a Cooks Illustrated crust recipe that calls for vodka for some of the water except I substituted vinegar, and it turned out really nice and flaky. I haven’t got it refined yet though…I haven’t tried using vodka. (Has anyone else tried that recipe?) C.I. also suggested using ground tapioca and minced apple as the thickener for a blueberry pie–excellent sweet and flavorful filling that’s not too firm.
My sister reports unprecedented pie goodness using Fortune apples and 20-oz apples with a strudel topping.
I read the OP as “When Here, Naked Pie”. I just had to look
What a let down.
Scratch for the crusts. We’ve drunk the Cook’s Illustrated kool-aid, so use the recipe from the Best Recipes (1/2 c Crisco blended with the flour to oblivion, 1&1/2 stick butter cut in until pea sized).
Experimented with a pecan crust for the (out of a can) pumpkin; with moderately good results.
In the idyllic future with lots of free time, mincemeat from scratch is on the list.