Pie Crust

One of the most intimidating recipes to attempt has to be pie crust. It seems that most people think of the perfect crust as some unattainable culinary masterpiece. I admit, I was with this group of people for a long time, turning to either dry store bought pie shells or making my own less than flaky crusts. I have found, however, that with a little practice (and the right recipe), not only is the perfect pie crust attainable, it can be simple as well.

The real trick with pie crusts is to keep the butter in them cold until it hits the oven. If you can manage that, the tiny bits of butter will melt, creating little air pockets that will make your crust flaky and fantastic! This recipe uses a food processor to mix the dough, but you can use a pastry cutter instead.

This dough will work for almost any pie recipe. If you need a fully baked pie crust (and will not be baking again after filling), I recommend a 375 degree oven for 12-17 minutes (will be golden brown when done). If you need to bake the pie after filling, bake for only 5-7 minutes, cool, add filling, and then cover the edge with foil for the rest of the baking time. To make a simple foil cover, fold a foil square in half and cut a half circle out of the folded edge of the foil. Unfold and position over your pie to protect the edge from burning.

Makes: 2 single (bottom only) pie crusts or 1 double (top and bottom) pie crust

• 1 cup butter (2 sticks), cubed and chilled
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 8 - 10 Tbsp ice water

1. Place butter, flour, and salt into food processor and pulse very lightly until mixture resembles wet sand. Be careful not to over process or the butter will melt and your crust will not be as flaky!

2. Add the ice water, one tablespoon at a time, pulsing a few times after each addition.

3. Keep adding water until the dough begins to form larger clumps.

4. Remove dough from food processor and form into 2 equal mounds. Transfer these mounds into 2 resealable plastic bags and form into disc shapes.

5. Let the dough rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (remember cold, cold, cold!).

6. Transfer one of the disks to a lightly floured surface. Using a lightly floured rolling pin and roll the dough out into circle large enough to cover your pie tin (usually 10 - 11 inches for a 9 inch pie tin). Note: To easily transfer your dough to your tin, carefully wrap it around your rolling pin and then drape it over your tin, unrolling from the rolling pin as you go.

7. Crimp edge if desired. Refrigerate until ready to fill and bake.

8. Prick holes in the bottom of the crust with a fork before baking to prevent bubbling. You can also lay parchment paper over dough and cover with dry beans to weigh it down as an alternate method to prevent bubbling while it bakes. If you use the bean method, you won't be able to use the beans again for eating, but they can be used for baking again.