Butter or shortening? Which one of these makes for a better pie crust?

As today is the day before Thanksgiving and I just finished making 30 various pies, some for me, some for friends and some for the wise, wise people who order pies from me, I thought I would share my thoughts on the ongoing debate of butter vs shortening in the pie making debate.

Around this time of year I start getting calls, texts and emails from friends asking me for any tips I have in making pies and the same question from everyone is if I use shortening or butter.

Things like pie dough are one of the reasons I fell in love with baking. Pie dough only has 4 ingredients and it can either turn into a beautiful, yummy treat or it can turn into a real frustrating mess. What holds the key to making something beautiful? You. It's all you.

Lemme 'splain, it's said you only know a recipe once you've made it a thousand times. So if it's your first go of making pie dough, give yourself a few try's to get it right. After you've made pie dough a few hundred times (I joke, slightly) you'll figure out just how you like your pie dough to turn out.

When you use all butter for your pie dough, you could end up with a lighter crust with more defined flakes. Use all shortening and you could end up with still a light crust but with less defined flakes. The reason? Butter has more water then shortening and as it bakes, the water is converted into steam puffing up the crust. So what to choose? Here are my thoughts, if you are going to make a pie that you fill and bake, I would use the all butter, if making a pie that you will bake and fill, I would use all shortening. My reasons? I have found that in using the all shortening for bake and fill, the pie dough keeps it's shape better then the all butter.

This pie? All shortening and vodka

My other tip is that rather then use water, I use vodka. (This is my motto for more then just pie dough) Why would I do this other then just being an avid day drinker? My belief is that the vodka develops less gluten. You know when you make pie dough and sometimes you find it trying to work againist you as if it some how has taken on a life of it's own and it just hates you? That's because you have worked the pie dough too much and you've developed too much gluten. And doesn't everyone win with a cold glass of vodka in the kitchen?

Some people choose to go half/half with their fats, half butter and half shortening. Some people even render their own fat for their pie dough. To that I bow down and recognize.

So as you dive into any pie making, make it yours, do what works best for you. Just make sure you have a chilled cocktail near by, you'll be amazed at how much more patience you have...

Unless you are an angry drunk.

Pie dough recipe (this is a double crust pie dough, but roll it out for just one, its more forgiving once you roll it out and place over the pie pan and you can make fun decorations out of the extra pie dough)

See how I changed the game and used some extra pie dough to put cut out leaves on my crumble pie topping for my dutch oven apple pie? That's called making it my own and you can do the same.

2 Cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup shortening or butter (make sure butter is cold and freeze the shortening and cut into small cubes)

4 - 8 Tablespoons really cold Vodka

Blend flour and salt in a bowl, add in the fat (shortening or butter or a mix of both measured to 3/4 cup) using your hands, preferably washed hands, rub the fat into the flour mixture till it's all crumbly. Add 4 Tablespoons of Vodka and stir with a rubber spatula, being very careful not to over mix, if there are still some parts of the dough that are crumbly, add 2 Tablespoons more of the vodka and mix just till combined. Repeat if necessary but be careful to not let it get to moist, you want it to get wet enough to stick together.

Wrap in plastic wrap and let chill for at least 1 hour or overnight.

Flour your work surface and rolling pin and roll out the dough, making sure to turn the pie dough 1/4 turns after you roll it out so it takes on somewhat of a circle shape. Don't be nervous, you got this.

Transfer to pie plate and shape it however the hell you want, this is all you.

If you are going to use this for bake and fill, stab it over and over again with a fork and line with tin foil and fill with dry beans or pie weights and let it chill for at least 30 minutes before baking.

If you are going to fill and bake, dont worry about stabbing it with the fork, just make sure you let it go back into the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Pie dough bakes off better when it is cold. Pastry science bitches.

A couple other tips I have is to use sweetened condensed milk instead of evaporated milk in your pumpkin pie recipe and add the zest of 1 orange and 1/4 cup of Bourbon to your pecan pie recipe.

You're welcome.

More people will come if there's punch and pie!

#platelicker

#pie #vodka #butter #shortening #thanksgiving