ChezCindy: Perfect Pie Crust Recipe

 

Recipe for perfect pie crust every time.  Easy to use, even for beginners.  Bakes beautifully for sweet or savory pies and tarts.  

Double Pie Dough for 2 Crusts

12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1teaspoon sea salt
1/3 cup cold butter-flavored Crisco shortening
1/2 cup ice water
makes two 9"-11" crusts

Cut the butter into 1/2-inch dice.  Return to the refrigerator if you have delay before preparing the flour mixture.

Place the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade.  Pulse a few times to combine.  Add the butter and shortening to the flour mixture, pulsing for 8-10 times, until the butter is the size of pearls.  With the machine running, pour the cold water down the feed tube, pulsing until the dough begins to form a ball.  Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface.  Gather the dough, divide in half to form 2 disks.  Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.  

Remove the dough from the refrigerator, working with 1 disk at a time.  Roll out the disk into a circle about 2 inches larger than the pie pan, rolling from the center of the disk to the edge, turning and flouring the dough to keep it from sticking to the rolling pin and counter.  When the dough is the size needed, carefully fold the dough in half, placing it into the pie pan.  Unfold the dough draping it over the edges of the pan.  Cut off the excess dough at the edges, crimping to form the edge.  Fill or bake as desired.  

Prepared pie dough can be shaped into a disk, wrapped, and stored in the refrigerator for a day or in the freezer for 3 months.