INGREDIENTS:
- 1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, frozen and cut into ½ inch pieces
- 4 tablespoons vegetable shortening, frozen and cut into ½ inch pieces
- 3 to 4 tablespoons ice water
Makes enough dough to fill a 12-inch skillet.
PREP: 10 minutes CHILL: 2 hours
This crust is easy to prepare in the food processor, and you can transfer the dough right to the skillet or chill it for later use. The mix of butter and shortening makes for just the right flakiness. Be sure to measure and freeze the butter and shortening until firm, about 30 minutes.
For the ice water, fill a measuring cup with water and ice, and then measure out the needed tablespoons.
FOOD PROCESSOR PIE CRUST INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Combine the flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse 2 or 3 times, until combined. Scatter the frozen butter and shortening pieces around the bowl of the processor. With your fingers, toss the butter and shortening with the flour mixture so it doesn’t stick together, carefully avoiding the blades of the processor. Pulse 20 to 25 times, until big pea-size crumbs form.
2. Add the ice water and process until the mixture comes together into a ball, about 10 seconds. Use immediately or transfer the dough to a sheet of wax paper and flatten it into a 6-inch disk. Wrap it up in the paper and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (see Note).
NOTE: If you prep the crust and place it immediately in the skillet, the dough will be soft, so you can gently press it into the skillet. But if you chill the dough, you will need to gently roll it out to a 14-inch circle on a floured surface. Carefully drape the circle of dough in the skillet, then decoratively crimp the edges so that the top of the dough is slightly below the top of the skillet.