four ingredient pie crust

I don't bake very often, and always feel that making a pie crust is dangerous business (and it can be), but my Mom is quite the baker and sometimes I wish to channel her pies in my oven. This is my healthy rendition on a classic pie crust (thanks to good homes and garden the only cookbook that has the least amount of crust ingredients)

Pie Crust

sub. whole grain flour and use butter instead of shortening (my mom uses spectrum, but I like butter better)

Step 0: Make sure your butter and water are super cold.

Step 1: put flour, salt and butter in the bowl. Then cut in the butter with 2 knives, most recipes call for a food processor, however the efficiency, you pay in texture in the end. Remember the turtle always wins, always.

notice the criss-cross action, and awesome alligator apron by beth LaBerge

Step 2: once your butter and flour look like a bunch of white-ish peas start to add the water a tsp or so at a time, lightly stir the mixture with a fork until the mixture is lightly damp.

Step 3: place on a piece of parchment and fold into a little bag of bliss and stick in the fridge for 20min. You want to make sure that you handle it very lightly and keep your hands from touching it, the heat from you will make it tuff- so stay off!

Step 4: roll it out on a piece of lightly floured parchment or a super duper clean surface, the crust should almost look polka-dotted with butter. 

cut away crust leaving about 2" extra around you pan

Step 4: gingerly place the crust on top a your dish making sure the inner is quite cold, so it won't melt the crust when it makes contact. Crimp the extra dough on the edges with your fingers and put some slits in the center. I brushed olive oil on top once it was on, but you can use a egg wash(beaten egg white) if you want. If you are making a double crust, cook the bottom crust for 12 min at 400˚ and let cool before adding your filling. Cook the pie for an addition 20-30 min. until it's nice and golden brown. 

voila! pie! cheaper than the box and just as fast!