Maya's Pie Crust
Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling 2/3 cup (12 T) unsalted butter, very-cold cut into ½ inch cubes* 1 teaspoon salt 6 to 8 Tablespoons ice water Prep time is 1 hour, 15 minutes. This recipe makes two 9 inch pie crusts for the top and bottom of a sweet or savory pie. Directions: 1. Combine flour and salt in a food processor; pulse to mix. Add butter and pulse 6-8 times, until mixture resembles coarse meal, with pea size pieces of butter. (If you don’t have a food processor this step can be completed by using a pastry cutter.) Add ice water 1 T at a time, pulsing until mixture just begins to clump together. If you pinch some of the crumbly dough and it holds together, it’s ready. If the dough doesn’t hold together, add a little more water and pulse again. Too much water will make the crust tough. 2. Remove dough from food processor and place in a mound on a clean surface. Gently shape the dough mixture into two balls. Work the dough just enough to form the balls, being careful not to over knead. Sprinkle a little flour around the balls and wrap each ball separately and refrigerate at least 1 hour. 3. Remove one ball from the refrigerator. Let sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes in order to soften just enough to make rolling out a bit easier. Roll out with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface to a 12-inch circle; about 1/8 of an inch thick. As you roll out the dough, check if the dough is sticking to the surface below. If necessary, add a few sprinkles of flour under the dough to keep the dough from sticking. It is also a good idea to lightly flour the rolling pin periodically as you roll out the ball. Carefully place onto a 9-inch pie plate. Gently press the pie dough down so that it lines the bottom and sides of the pie plate. Use a pair of kitchen scissors to trim the dough to within 1/2 inch of the edge of the pie plate. 4. Add filling to the pie. 5. Roll out second ball of dough, as before. Gently place onto the top of the filling in the pie. Pinch top and bottom of dough round firmly together. Fold the edge of the top piece of dough over and under the edge of the bottom piece of dough, pressing together. Flute edges using thumb and forefinger pr press with a fork. Score the top of the pie with four 2-inch long cuts, so that steam from the cooking pie can escape. 6. Optional baking tricks: (a)* The primary secret to a flaky pie crust is to work with very cold butter. Cut the butter into cubes and freeze, at least 15 minutes, best for over an hour or even overnight. (b) Wrap foil around crust edges to prevent burning the fluted pie crust edges. (c) You may want to paint the top of your crust with an egg wash to make a nice finish for your pie. To do this you beat a large egg yolk in a T of heavy cream, half and half, or milk. Brush on the surface of the pie with a pastry brush and put into oven to bake. (d) Place pie on a foil lined cookie sheet to catch the inevitable drips.