More expensive, yes, but BETTER.

bakingday35

Ingredients for a double-crust:

2 1/4 c. flour
3/4 tsp salt
2/3 c. butter
8-10 tbs COLD water*

*The main thing to remember when making a butter vs. shortening crust is to keep everything as COLD as possible.  Shortening does not soften/melt/get all ooey-gooey sticky like warm butter does.

First measure out your water and put it in the freezer.

Then dice your butter.  Small cubes.  Put it in the fridge.

Mix dry ingredients.  Using a pastry blender, cut in diced butter.  (Since it’s already cut, it won’t take as long, and therefore won’t get as warm!)

Add the freezing-cold water one tablespoon at a time, mixing lightly with a fork as you go.  Go around the bowl in circles.  Do not overmix or your crust will not be wonderfully flaky.  When it forms a ball, stop adding water.

Separate dough into two balls.  Cover and refrigerate while you make your filling.  Get out one ball at a time to work with.  If you have a pastry cloth, this is the perfect time to use it.  Sprinkle table or cloth with flour.  Roll the first ball into a circle, 12″ in diameter.  (Always start in the middle when rolling out the dough.)

Transfer crust to pie plate by rolling it up on your rolling pin and unrolling it over the plate.  Trim even with pie plate.

Roll out the second ball.  Also 12″.  Cut slits to allow steam to escape.

Place filling in pie plate, transfer second crust to cover filling using your rolling pin.

Trim to a 1/2″ beyond the edge of the plate.  Fold top pastry under bottom pastry and crimp the edge either with fingers and thumb or with a fork.

Bake!

See, that wasn’t hard.