Perfect Pie Crust

ALL BUTTER PIE CRUST

• 2-2/3 Cups all-purpose flour
• 16 Tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, very-cold, cut into 1/2 inch cube
• 1 Teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 4 to 6 Tablespoons ice water

With a pastry cutter, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal, with pea size pieces of butter. Add water 1 Tablespoon at a time stirring with a fork until mixture just begins to clump together.

Carefully shape into 2 discs. Do not over-knead the dough! You should still be able to see little bits of butter in the dough. These bits of butter are what will allow the result crust to be flaky. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Remove one crust disk from the refrigerator. Let sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes. Sprinkle some flour on top of the disk. Roll out with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface to a 12 inch circle; about 1/8 of an inch thick.

Gently fold in half. Place on to a 9-inch pie plate, lining up the fold with the center of the pan. Gently unfold and press down to line the pie dish with the dough.

Trim excess dough to 1/2 inch from the outer edge of the pie plate.

Fold the edge under.

This is a basic decorative pie crust edge. Place your right index finger on the inside of the dough. Take your left hand with thumb and index finger and hold while your right finger presses into the dough to form a crimped edge.

Continue all around the edge of the pie shell.

Now you have a perfect decorative edge. Refrigerate

for at least 3o minutes before filling and baking to

help keep the crust from shrinking.

The instructions will yield enough dough for 1 10-inch pie with a crust top, or 2 10-inch topless pies or tarts. If you are making a tart or just a pie bottom, cut all ingredients in half.