Pie Crust 2

After forty years of baking pies, I was introduced to a new method for making pie dough in Cook's Illustrated magazine. I adapted it to kosher pareve baking, and it's my new favorite. This is a difficult pastry to work with as it's very soft and delicate, but it bakes up better than any other crust I've ever eaten. Do not substitute for the vodka, you will be quite pleased with the tender, delicious results.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
2 T. sugar
20 T. Crisco or other tasteless, hydrogenated shortening, cut into 16 pieces
1/4 cup vodka, cold
1/2 cup cold water

Process 1 1/2 cups flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor for 15 seconds. Add shortening and process until dough just begins to collect in uneven clumps, about 15 seconds. Scrape bowl with a rubber spatla and distribute evenly around the processor blade. Add remaining cup of flour and pulse until the mixture is evenly distributed around the bowl (5 pulses).Empty into a medium bowl.

Sprinkle vodka and water over the mixture. Use a rubber spatula to carefully fold vodka into dough. Dough will be sticky, tacky and unlike any other pie dough. Divide into two portions on some parchment paper. Flatten into 4-inch disks, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 45 minutes or up to 2 days.

Roll out on a well-floured piece of parchment paper; sprinkling the top of the dough with a bit of flour to keep it from sticking to the rolling pin. Use the parchment paper to help you transfer the dough to the pie plate. If it falls apart a bit, just press the pieces together - it will still be fabulous.

This makes enough dough for a double-crust 9-inch pie.

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