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Howdy!! If you are looking for an easy and delicious pie crust you’ve come to the right place! This is my all time favorite pie crust! It’s so yummy and easy as pie!

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Before we get started here’s an awesome pie crust tip for you! I learned this pie secret from my dear pie-sister friend, Linda Hundt from Sweetie-licious Pies  that I want to share with you! (By the way, Linda owns 3 pie shops in Michigan, so she is a PRO! And she is adorable…she reminds me of a modern day Doris Day!!)

Shhhhh! Here’s the secret: Make your pie dough, line it in a metal pan, crimp it and then freeze it. This is genius because when you want to make a pie, half the work is already done! All you have to do is make the filling, fill the frozen pie shell and bake! Talk about a time saver! This works especially well with my All Butter Pie Crust because with it being frozen, when you put it in the hot oven, it will keep the shape of the crimp better. You can also partially roll out a disk of dough inside a large baggie and freeze. Then if you want to make a full top crust, lattice crust or cut out the dough in shapes to top your pie with you can do that too! The frozen crust will keep up to 3 months in the freezer.

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Aunt Ruthie’s All Butter Pie Crust

(This recipe makes two single crust pies or one double crust pie.)

  • 2 1/2 cups unbleached flour
  • 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) cold salted butter (cut in small cubes)
  • ½ cup  ice water
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Apple Cider Vinegar (add to water)
  • 2  buttered Metal Pie pans (I recommend using metal pans for my pie crust recipe. Since this is an all butter pie crust it needs to be frozen before you bake the pie to keep the shape of the crimping. The extreme temperature change from the frozen state to the hot oven could cause a glass pie dish to break.)

In a stand mixer, or by hand with a pastry cutter, blend the dry ingredients together.

Add butter and mix until it becomes the consistency of cornmeal with some blueberry-size chunks of butter.

Add the 1/2 cup of ice water with 1 1/2 teaspoons Apple Cider Vinegar added  and mix until the dough starts to form a ball.

Once a ball is formed, cut in half. Flatten into two patties.

Flour your surface and roll dough into a circle a few inches larger than your pie pan.

Line the buttered pan with the dough and crimp.

Put the crimped pie shells in the freezer for at least an hour before you bake the pie, but preferably overnight.

If not baking on the same day, store the crimped pie shells in the freezer until it’s time to fill and bake.

IMPORTANT TIPS:

  • When you’re ready to bake your pie, fill the frozen pie shell then bake right away, do not thaw the crust.
  • The frozen pie crusts will keep in the freezer sealed in large plastic baggies for 3 months.
  • To Blind bake (pre-bake) a pie shell preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  Line the frozen pie crust with parchment paper or foil then fill with pie weights or beans. Place the frozen pie shell on a cookie sheet then into the oven on the lowest rack. Bake for 18 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Remove the pie weights and bake for 3-5 more minutes to make sure the bottom is cooked and not dough-y.
  • When you bake your pies be sure to start out with a very hot oven–400 degrees–you can then lower the temp to 375  after 15 minutes and bake according to your recipe. This will help keep the shape of your crimping.
  • Check your pie about half way during the baking process to make sure the crust is not over browning. If it is, place a tent of foil over the pie. To make a “tent” I tear off a large piece of foil and scrunch the edges all the way around into a circle…it will look like a hubcap. Lay it loosely over the pie.

You can watch how I prepare my All Butter Pie crust Video here:

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