Pie Goddess

Evan's Banana Cream Pie from Rose's Recipe

Rose Levy Beranbaum is the author of numerous books about baking including The Pie & Pastry Bible and her latest, Rose's Heavenly Cakes.

Rose's Flaky Pie Crust

Yield: One 9-inch pie crust

8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cold

1 1/3 cups plus 4 teaspoons pastry flour or bleached all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp baking powder (optional: if not using, double the salt)

2 1/2 to 3 1/2 Tablespoons heavy cream

1 1/2 tsp cider vinegar

Place the flour mixture in a food processor with the metal blade and process for a few seconds to combine. Set the bag aside. 

Add the larger amount of butter cubes to the flour and process for about 20 seconds or until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the remaining frozen butter cubes and pulse until all of the frozen butter is the size of peas. (Toss with a fork to see it better.) 

Add the lowest amount of the ice water and the vinegar and pulse 6 times. Pinch a small amount of the mixture together between your fingers. If it does not hold together, add half the remaining water and pulse 3 times.

Try pinching the mixture again. If necessary, add the remaining water, pulsing 3 times to incorporate it. The mixture will be in particles and will not hold together without being pinched. 

For tiny 1 inch tartlets, omit the baking powder and allow the processing to continue just until a ball forms. The additional mixing produces a dough that is slightly less flaky but ensures that it will not puff out of shape in the tiny molds.

Spoon the mixture into the plastic bag. (For a double-crust pie, it is easiest to divide the mixture in half at this point.) 

Holding both ends of the bag opening with your fingers, knead the mixture by alternately pressing it, from the outside of the bag, with the knuckles and heels of your hands until the mixture holds together in one piece and feels slightly stretchy when pulled. 

Wrap the dough with plastic wrap, flatten it into a disc (or discs) and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes, preferably overnight. (For a pie shell and lattice, divide it in a ratio of two thirds: one third-use about 9.5 ounces for the shell and the rest for the lattice, flattening the smaller part into a rectangle.)

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