TODAY Food Club

For years my auntie was the queen of apple pie at Thanksgiving. So, it came as a shock when I learned she used refrigerated pie crusts. I mean, pie is all about the crust, and she's a phenomenal baker. Turns out she finally gave up on finding a pie crust recipe that didn't leave her stressed and in tears. Auntie, this No-Roll Pie Crust is my gift to you for all the find memories we've shared around the world's tiniest oven in New Jersey.

No-Roll Pie Crust

• Yield: makes 2 single pie crusts

Ingredients

• ⅓ cup (50 grams) yellow cornmeal
• 1 ½ cups (200 grams) all purpose flour, plus extra for rolling out
• ½ teaspoon (4 grams) salt
• 1 teaspoon (6 grams) natural cane sugar
• 12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks – 168 grams) very cold butter, cut into 12 pieces
• 1 large egg
• 1 ½ teaspoons white vinegar
• 2 tablespoons ice cold water

Preparation

1. Add the flours, salt and sugar to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 1-2 times to mix well. Add the butter and pulse a few more times, until it forms a sandy-looking mixture, about 4 to 5 one-second pulses. Add the egg, vinegar and water. Pulse until it forms a solid ball of dough, about 8 to 10 one-second pulses.
2. Dump the ball of dough out onto a well-floured counter or smooth surface. Divide the dough into two equal pieces, wrapping one of them if you’re only make a single-crust pie (see sidebar). Roll one disc of dough out into a circle large enough to fit your pie plate. Proceed with the directions for whichever pie recipe you are using.

Recipe Tags

• Thanksgiving
• American
• Dessert