Pumpkin Pie

Step 2 Pie Crust Ingredients

Getting the liquid balance in pie dough can be tricky. This pie crust recipe uses vodka to attain the proper liquid balance for mixing and rolling out the dough, but since vodka is about 40% alcohol, almost have of that liquid quickly evaporates when the crust is baked. A reasonable to good quality vodka will not impart any flavor (or alcohol for that matter) on the finished crust.

Here are some other pie crusts if you don't have vodka on hand:
A Quick Pie Crust
How to Make a Pie Crust

Crust
3/4 cup + 1/2 cup flour = 1 1/4 cups unbleached flour
-- mix these together first --
3/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
-- next add these --
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut apart in a bunch of small pieces
1/4 cup vegetable shortening - non-hydrogenated palm oil if you can find it; Crisco or crisco-like shortening if you can't
-- next add this --
remaining 1/2 cup flour
-- finally these --
2 tablespoons cold vodka
2 tablespoons water