Summer Berry Pie Crust

There is nothing like a big slice of fresh fruit pie topped with real whipped cream to make my tastebuds scream "SUMMER!". Sour cherry, blueberry, rhubarb-strawberry, oh my. As you start to encounter the summer's bounty of fruit, why not make your own pie crust?

Foodies get obsessed with pie crust. Crisco vs. butter vs. lard, flour/fat ratios, flour protein levels. No wonder pie crust intimidates people! Throw all that out the window along with the measuring cups - this is an unscientific, unmeasured, a-dab-of-this-and-that basic pie crust. Hopefully, by taking away all the frou-frou fussiness from pie crust, we'll all realize that it's really as easy as...well, you know.

First, add flour to a bowl (approx. 1-1/2 cups) along with a dash of salt. Don't worry about it, just eyeball it. Add a COLD stick of butter.

Ever seen Last Tango in Paris? You'll never look at a stick of butter the same way again.


Now take off your rings, wash your hands, and dig in, crunching up the butter until you have crumbles.


When you press the crumbles together in your fist, they should stick together. Like flocks of geese. Or penguins. Or Mama bears and Baby bears.

Never mind.


Now add icy cold water, a spoonful at a time, and mix it in until you can form a ball. Some people swear by adding a splash of cider vinegar, too; go ahead if that floats your boat. Flatten the ball a bit, cover with that butter wrapper, and throw in the freezer for a few mins to chill. The dough needs to be cold before you roll it out. (If you're not using the dough right away, use plastic wrap and keep in the fridge.)

Now we're ready to roll. Grab two sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap, place one on the table and sprinkle with flour. Take out the chilled dough, place on top of floured surface, and then sprinkle top of dough with flour. Top it off with the other sheet and roll out the dough.

My hubby gave me this rolling pin for Christmas after watching me hurt myself rolling out sugar cookies with a Smurf glass. Long story.

Flip the dough onto your pie plate, fix any holes, and then let your creativity take care of the rest.