Flaky Pie Crust

This crust turned out perfect! I actually got it to come together and look pretty decent, something I'm not normally very good at doing. It also uses butter and not shortening, which is a prerequisite for me. I can't stand that stuff. I suck it up and use it in icing for birthday cakes, but other than that, I usually substitute butter. I used this for a cherry pie, and it was flaky and tasty. It is my new go to crust for pies. I will still stick with my whole wheat one for chicken pot pie, but for dessert pies, I'll pass on the whole wheat. Tomorrow I will post the cherry pie recipe.

Flaky Pie Crust
from Smitten Kitchen

*Makes two pie crusts

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 sticks unsalted butter, very cold

1/2-1 cup very cold water

Directions:

Fill a one cup liquid measuring cup with water, and drop in a few ice cubes; set it aside. This will allow the water to get really cold. In a large bowl whisk together 2 1/2 cups flour, 1 tablespoon of sugar and a teaspoon of salt. Dice two sticks of very cold unsalted butter into 1/2-inch pieces and add them to the flour mixture.

Using a pastry blender or two knives if you don't have one, work in the butter. Do this until the butter resembles the size of peas. It's OK if all the butter isn't the same size.

Next, drizzle 1/2 cup of the ice-cold water over the butter and flour mixture, discarding the ice cubes if there are any left. Using a rubber or silicon spatula, gather the dough together. Add more water 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough comes together. You'll probably need 1/4-1/2 cup of additional water. Once the dough comes together in large clumps with the spatula, take it out and use your hands. Gather the clumps together into one mound, kneading them gently together.

Divide the dough in half, and place each half on a large piece of plastic wrap. Let the dough chill in the fridge for one hour, but preferably at least two, before rolling it out. If you're in a time crunch, I have found that putting the dough in the freezer for 10-15 minutes works just as well.

The dough will keep in the fridge for about a week, and in the freezer longer. If not using it that day, wrap it in additional layers of plastic wrap to protect it from fridge/freezer smells. To defrost your dough, move it to the fridge for one day before using it.