There are really two secrets to the perfect pie crust. The first is quality ingredients. The second and most important secret is the temperature of the butter and the water. Butter and water must be very, very cold when making a crust to ensure a flaky, delicious crust.
The recipe below is wonderful for use with pumpkin, coconut, or pecan filling. As a doubled recipe, it works well for a cherry or apple pie. For a 9" X 13" pot pie dish, the recipe can be multiplied by 4 to have enough dough for a top and bottom crust. There will even be a little left over to make decorations for the top.
Perfect Pie Crust
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 stick (1/4 pound) butter, chilled and chopped into small pieces
3 to 4 tbsp. cold water
Grease 9" pie plate. Sift flour and salt into a mixer bowl. Add butter. Using mixer, mix at slow speed until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Into one cup water, add two to four ice cubes. Water must be very cold.
Add enough cold water (no more than 4 tbsp.) one spoonful at a time to make a firm dough. Using hands, scrape all dough from bowl and knead into a ball. On lightly floured surface, roll dough out to 1/4 inch thickness. Fold dough in half, then into quarters for easy transfer to the pie plate. Unfold dough onto the pie plate, pressing dough into bottom of pan. Trim excess dough around pie plate edges, leaving enough to cover edge of pan. Using thumb and fingers, pinch edges into an attractive pattern. Refridgerate for 30 minutes before filling. Makes 1 9" pie crust.
Double for a double crust or lattice crust recipe. For custard and cream cheese type pies, prick bottom of pie crust in an overall pattern to keep crust from bubbling or shrinking. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes at 400 degrees F.
The perfect pie crust is the mark of an excellent cook, and for many cooks is a matter of pride. If you follow the directions precisely, this recipe will give you the perfect crust every time.
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