Lord Honey, ain't no foolin' about it, y'all can stop lookin' for the perfect pie crust recipe, 'cause here it is---my "Fail-Proof Flaky Pie Crust" Just give it a try and y'all won't deny the "proof" when you see what a flaky and tender pie crust you get ever' time.
Fail-"Proof" Flaky Pie Shell
Jason Smith, FNS
southerncountrybling.com
Makes 2 Crust
Ingredients:
2-cups all-purpose flour
1-tsp salt
2/3-cup butter(cubed), lard or shortening, make sure it's chilled
½-tsp vanilla
4-6 TBSP ice cold vodka, bourbon or water (amount of liquid can vary)
Directions:
· Place the flour and salt into a mixing bowl; whisk together.
· Add the butter (or other fat) and cut into the flour mixture, unti it looks like coarse corn meal.
· Pour the vanilla and the cold water (or alcohol) into flour, stirring easy, keep adding the cold liquid until dough forms a ball (may be more than the listed amount)
· Cut ball of dough in half and place each piece in a zip top bag and flatten into a disk, place in fridge for 25-30 mins.
· Remove one disk from refigerator, place the disk on a sheet of wax paper or parchment paper; place another sheet of wax paper on top of the disk.
--using a rolling pin, roll the covered dough out until about ¼ inch in thickness.
· Butter or spray a pie tin, invert the rolled dough onto the pie tin, push into the corners and remove the wax paper.
· Prick the bottom and sides of the dough with a fork.
-- spray the bottom and sides of another pie tin, place this pie tin on top of the pie dough and push down
--using a sharp knife, trim the excess dough that is showing between the two pie tins.
· Put the prepared pie shell in the refrigerator for 10 mins.
· Remove pie shell from the refrigerator
--Place in a 375° preheated oven:
Partial Blind Baked Shell--also called Par-Baked (to be used when you are using a filling that requires less baking time than the crust):
--bake pie shell for 5 mins; remove from oven; remove inner pie tin; place filling in pie shell and continue baking according to the time required for your filling.
Full Blind Baked Shell (to be used if you are using a no-bake filling):
--bake pie shell for 20 mins; remove from oven; remove inner pie tin and return to oven for 5 more mins.--remove from oven, allow to cool, and fill with no-bake filling.
Tip: This makes a good savory crust too, just leave the vanilla out.