VanFoodies.com

Happy Pi Day! Nerdy, I know. March 14 (or 3/14 to illustrate the point) is the annual celebration of pi, since 3, 1 and 4 are the three most significant digits of π.

For this special occasion, I would like to share this simple pie crust recipe that will go well with just any pie filling you can think of. This recipe has worked really well for me, including this apple pie I’ve made for one of Mr.‘s birthday.

Birthday Apple Pie

Basic Pie Dough

This recipe makes two 9″ pie crust. Cut this in half if you are making a single-crust pie. You don’t need to pre-bake this crust.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 cup cold unsalted butter
• 6 tablespoons ice water

Preparation

1. Sift together flour and salt.
2. Cut half of the butter into the flour mixture, working it in lightly with the tips of your fingers until it has the consistency of cornmeal.
3. Cut the remaining half into the dough until it is pea-sized.
4. Sprinkle the dough with ice water. Blend the water gently into the dough until it just holds together.
5. If necessary, add another 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon of ice water to help hold the ingredients together.
6. Divide the dough in half, shape each into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate.

Tip: If you chill the pie crust for more than 30 minutes before rolling, let it stand for a bit first. Too cold of pie dough will crack around the edges when rolled.