Perfect Pie Crust

In my opinion, my Grandmother makes the best pies in the whole wide world…I’m not kidding!  Her crust is flaky and buttery and delicious.  I’ve seen her make pies, so I’ve always had an idea of what goes into it, but I never could get it just right, because in true Grandma form, she has no recipe…she makes it by feel.

This is the perfect pie crust.  I. am. not. kidding.  It’s just like Grandma’s.

Recipe from the November 2012 issue of Food Network Magazine.

Ingredients:

• 12 TBSP very cold unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks)
• 3 c. all-purpose flour
• 1 TBSP sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/3 c. very cold vegetable shortening
• 1/2 c. ice water

Directions:

1. Cut the butter in 1/2 inch dice and return it to the refrigerator while you prepare the flour mixture.
2. Place the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse a few times to mix
3. Add the butter and shortening.  Pulse 8 to 12 times, until the butter is the size of peas.  With the machine running, pour ice water down the feed tube and pulse the machine until the dough begins to form a ball.
4. Dump onto a floured board and roll into a ball.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes (if refrigerate longer be sure to let it warm up a bit before you try and roll the dough out).
5. Cut the dough in half.  Roll each piece on a well floured board into a circle at least 1 inch larger than the pie pan, rolling from the center to the edge, turning and flouring the dough so it doesn’t stick to the board. You should see bits of butter in the dough. Fold the dough in half, ease it into the pie pan without stretching at all an unfold to fit the pan.
6. With a small paring knife, cut the dough 1 inch larger around the pan.  Fold the end under and crimp the edge with either your fingers or the tines of a fork.
7. Makes 2 (9-11 inch) crusts.

Perfect Pie Crust: