Easy Pie Crust

Pie crust is one of those recipes everyone should own. Having an easy pie crust recipe is even better. I use pie crust in many recipes and over the years I have come to really like this recipe the best.

The first step is to prep your butter and your vegetable shortening. I chopped up 12 tablespoons of butter and placed 1/3 cup of vegetable shortening (I actually used coconut oil) and placed it in the freezer to keep them very cold. I also made 1/2 cup of ice water.

While the butter and oil are getting cold, I measured out 3 cups of flour, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and 1 teaspoon of salt. I pulsed them all in the food processor until blended together.

I then took the coconut oil and the butter and added it to the processor and pulsed them together about 12-15 times or until they dough starts to form little crumbles. With the processor running, slowly pour the ice water down the feed tube until the dough forms into a ball.

Turn the dough onto a well floured area and form into a ball.

Cover the dough with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. This dough will make 2 9-11 inch pie crust. I hope you enjoy this simple recipe and have fun experimenting with different things to fill it with.

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Perfect Pie Crust (Makes two 9- to 11-inch crusts)

12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) very cold unsalted butter
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¹/³ cup very cold vegetable shortening, such as Crisco
½ cup ice water

Cut the butter in ½-inch dice and return it to the refrigerator while you prepare the flour mixture. 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. Add the butter and shortening. Pulse 8 to 12 times, until the butter is the size of peas. With the machine running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse the machine until the dough begins to form a ball. Dump out onto a floured board and roll into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

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, and unfold to fit the pan. With a small sharp paring knife, cut the dough 1 inch larger around than the pan. Fold the edge under and crimp the edge with either your fingers or the tines of a fork.