Fuel for Good Cooking: Perfect Pie Crusts

Chef, party planner and blogger Martie Duncan is here to show you how to make a tender, flaky pie crust in time for the holiday season.

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter, chilled and diced
• 1/4 cup ice water

Directions

• Combine flour, salt and butter in food processor and pulse. If you don't have a food processor, you can mix the ingredients with a pasty cutter.
• While pulsing, slowly add the ice water until the dough starts coming together
• Once the dough is formed, lay it out on a floured piece of plastic wrap and shape it into a disc, handling as little as possible so your hands don't heat the dough
• Chill the dough 30 minutes before baking

It's important to start with cold ingredients. Here's why.

Cold butter and cold water give off steam as the pie bakes. The steam is actually what creates those tasty, flaky layers that we all love. That's the same reason it's important to pulse your food processor when combining your ingredients rather than running the blades-so the blade doesn't heat up and melt the butter. 

Once you're done preparing your delicious pie crust, follow the directions for your favorite pie recipe and enjoy. If you're cooking your pie in a natural gas oven, remember to adjust your oven's rack up or down depending on how much you like to brown your crust. And have a happy Thanksgiving from your family at Spire!