Pie & Never-Fail Crust Recipe

I love pie, I think most people love pie! Now that we are getting into the holidays, and especially Thanksgiving, PIE is on my mind, as well as using pie to teach fractions...(more to come)

Most people who have had my pies, really love my crust, which is funny to me, since I really don't like crust. I'm all eyes on the filling!

Our family favorites are Lemon Meringue Pie, Apple Pie, Marionberry Pie, and Cherry Pie. I don't have a favorite recipe for Marionberry or Cherry Pie yet, I'm still looking. I also tend to add a double amount of zest to the recipe fo the Lemon Meringue Pie.

I've had people use this recipe with alternative flours for gluten free and whole grains with consistently good results! So, without further ado, here is my nearly-never-fail pie crust recipe.

Liz's Pie Crust Recipe

A basic no-fail recipe created from several sources

  • 1.25 c All Purpose Flour
  • 1 stick or 1/4 c. high quality butter - cold
  • 1 oz cold water
  • 1 oz vodka
  1. Add flour to your food processor

  2. Cut the butter into uneven pieces and add to food processor

  3. Pulse the food processor until the butter is still in uneven pieces but no bigger then a pea

  4. add vodka & water (yes just dump it in)

  5. Pulse for 10 seconds at a time until the crust looks like it's a bunch of small balls. Don't process past this point or the crust will become tough

  6. Dump the wee balls out onto a surface and use your hands to bring together in a disk.

  7. If you need it immediately, let it rest for about 10 minutes before rolling.

  • This makes one crust, if you need a both a bottom and top crust double the recipe.
  • I use salted butter, so I do not add any additional salt to the recipe.
  •  I live in the Pacific Northwest, and during the winter when it's much more humid, I tend to add an additional 1/4 c. of flour, otherwise it's too wet.
  • This crust is very forgiving and squishy.  
  • Try adding things like cinnamon to the crust for an apple pie, nutmeg to a quiche, or any other dry spice or herb to complement its filling!

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