As you know, I love me some Ina Garten. I have never once tried a single recipe of hers that I did not like. So there’s no question where I would turn to find a great pie crust recipe. In the past, I haven’t had much luck with pie crusts. I think it is because I panic about how cold everything is supposed to be when you are making it. Anyway, I tried Ina’s Perfect Pie Crust and it came out PERFECT!
This flaky and delicious pie crust made with chilled butter and shortening comes out perfect every time. Here’s how to make it:
How To Make The Perfect Pie Crust
Cut the butter and shortening into ½-inch cubes. Place it into the refrigerator to chill, while preparing the flour mixture.
Place the flour, salt, and sugar in the food processor; pulse a few times to mix. Next, add the cold butter from the refrigerator and the shortening to the flour mixture inside the food processor. Pulse 8 to 12 times, until the butter is about the size of peas.
Turn on the food processor and leave it running; pour the ice water (one tablespoon at a time) into the feed tube of the food processor, until the dough begins to form a ball.
When this happens all of the dough clumps together and starts to do circles around the food processor bowl. Just when this starts to happen, stop the food processor, then turn out the dough on a floured surface.
Roll into a ball; wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
After the dough has chilled, cut the dough in half. Roll out each piece of the dough onto a well-floured surface into a circle. Start rolling out the dough, using a rolling pin. Roll from the center of the dough to the edges, turning and flouring as needed to ensure it doesn’t stick to the work surface or rolling pin. Fit the pie pan.
Now it’s decision time, you can either choose to make a solid top with slits or you can make a lattice top. Click HERE to learn how to make a lattice top courtesy of thekitchn.com. In fact, the top geometry of a pie crust is pretty much unlimited as long as you have the perfect dough to work with.
Brush the top of the crust with egg wash (1 egg + 2 tablespoons of water) and bake as directed in your recipe.
Tomorrow I am going to share the recipe I used to make cherry pie filling, so if you love cherry pie, stay tuned… 🙂
The Perfect Pie Crust
Ingredients
- 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter very cold, cut into cubes
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ⅓ cup vegetable shortening very cold
- 8 tablespoons ice water
Instructions
- Cut the butter and shortening into ½-inch cubes. Place it into the refrigerator to chill, while preparing the flour mixture.
- Place the flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor; pulse a few times to mix. Next, add the cold butter from the refrigerator and the shortening to the flour mixture inside the food processor. Pulse 8 to 12 times, until the butter is about the size of peas. Turn on the food processor and leave it running; pour the ice water (one tablespoon at a time) into the feed tube of the food processor, until the dough begins to form a ball. When this happens all of the dough clumps together and starts to do circles around the food processor bowl. Just when this starts to happen, stop the food processor, then turn out the dough on a floured surface. Roll into a ball; wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- After the dough has chilled, cut the dough in half. Roll out each piece of the dough onto a well-floured surface into a circle. Start rolling out the dough, using a rolling pin. Roll from the center of the dough to the edges, turning and flouring as needed to ensure it doesn’t stick to the work surface or rolling pin. Fit the pie pan.
- Now it’s decision time, you can either choose to make a solid top with slits or you can make a lattice top.
- Brush the top of the pie crust with egg wash (1 egg + 2 tablespoons of water) and bake as directed in your recipe.
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