Baker's Secret Pie Crust

Baker's Secret Pie Crust
This is an AWESOME recipe. The crusts turn out wonderful.

3/4 cup cake flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 tablespoons shortening
1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
3 cubes ice
1/2 cup cold water

Measure butter & shortening onto a plate, put into freezer for about 20 minutes.

Measure cake flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, salt and baking powder into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse for a few seconds to mix.

Take 1/2 of the cold butter and 1/2 of the cold shortening, put into processor with dry ingredients and pulse off and on for about 1 minute. Scrape down twice while doing this.

Take remainder of the cold butter & cold shortening and cut in very briefly with the processor, leaving visible pea-sized chunks. Do not over process at this stage!

In a measuring cup, mix egg yolk and vinegar together, add ice cubes and water. Let this get chilled, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Remove mixed flours and shortening from processor, put into a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle approximately 4 to 5 tablespoons of this egg, water, vinegar mixture, a little at a time, mixing gently with a fork. The key to this is, you do not want a wet dough, and you do not want to overmix.

Place this dough into plastic wrap or plastic bag, chill in refrigerator for a few minutes. (May also be frozen for a few weeks at this stage for future use).

Remove from refrigerator and roll out.

Never-Fail Pie Crust

Never-Fail Pie Crust

Quickly combined with an electric mixer, this piecrust uses vegetable shortening and freezes well. The baking powder gives it a nice flaky quality.

4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 3/4 cups solid vegetable shortening
1 egg
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
1/2 cup cold water

In a large mixer bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Add the shortening and beat on low until the mixture is crumbly, about 2 minutes. In a small bowl, beat the egg well and add the vinegar and water. Pour over the flour-shortening mixture and beat until well combined, about 1 minute. Form the dough into 4 balls, wrap, and refrigerate overnight.

To prepare a baked shell preheat oven to 425 F. Roll out one chilled ball of pastry and transfer to pie pan. With a fork, prick the shell all over. Place unfilled piecrust in the freezer 10 minutes before baking to reduce shrinkage and hold fluted edges in place. Transfer immediately to the hot oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the crust is golden. Cool before filling.