Of all the pie crust recipes on Cookie Madness, this double pie crust is my current favorite. I liked it the first couple of times I used it, so I gave the recipe to my daughter and it's become her favorite too. I should add that she's now a much better pie maker than I am, and she made the crust in the photo. She likes to leave streaks of butter in the dough for extra flakiness!
Double Pie Crust All Butter Ingredients
Aside from technique, what makes this pie crust special are baking powder and vinegar. According to Rose Levy Beranbaum, the vinegar relaxes the dough and the baking powder provides a little lift. RLB has a version of it on Epicurious that calls for pastry flour, but all-purpose works just fine too, so long as you use the same weight. Also, you can make the crust in a food processor or by hand. I usually use the processor, while Fuzz does it all by hand.
Erin McDowell's Carrot Cake Custard Pie
Here's a picture of the pie crust from above, but baked. Fuzz made Erin McDowell's Carrot Cake Custard Pie. I didn't get to try it, unfortunately, but Fuzz says it tastes like Carrot Cake and Pecan Pie.
Recipe
Double Pie Crust All Butter
Ingredients
- 2 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour (340 grams)
- 1 teaspoon salt (you can use less if you want)
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, cold and cut into chunks
- ½ cup ice water (I sometimes use half water and half vodka)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Combine the flour, salt, baking powder and sugar and stir very well to mix. Put in the bowl of a food processor (or just use a mixing bowl if doing by hand).
- Add half of the chunks of butter and pulse until mixture is coarse. Add remaining butter and pulse just until it is broken up with some larger pea size chunks here and there.
- Add vinegar to the mixture and pulse to mix, then add half the water and pulse. Add the remaining water a tablespoon at time until mixture holds together when you pinch it. Most likely you will use it all.
- Empty onto a pastry mat and pat into one big mass. Divide in half and wrap halves separately. Chill for at least and hour or until ready to use.
Fuzz says
This crust never lets me down - no matter what filling I put in it, it's always the star of the show! I like to make big batches of crust, freeze the disks, and then move them into the fridge to thaw overnight the day before my weekly Pie Day. I make a lot of pie these days, but my best recipes always come from you! <3