Vodka Pie Crust Recipes

Steps:

• Pulse the flour, lard, sugar, salt and 4 tablespoons of the butter in a food processor until it has the consistency of a fine meal. Add the remaining 8 tablespoons butter, and pulse until you have pea-sized pieces. Sprinkle the vodka and water over the flour, and pulse until the dough just comes together. Evenly divide the dough between 2 pieces of plastic wrap, and gently pat each into a round. Wrap each round tightly and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour and up to overnight.

Steps:

• Process 1 1/2 cups flour, salt, and sugar in food processor until combined, about 2 one-second pulses. Add butter and shortening and process until homogeneous dough just starts to collect in uneven clumps, about 15 seconds (dough will resemble cottage-cheese curds, and there should be no uncoated flour). Scrape bowl with rubber spatula and redistribute dough evenly around processor blade. Add remaining cup flour and pulse until mixture is evenly distributed around bowl and mass of dough has been broken up, 4 to 6 quick pulses. Empty mixture into medium bowl.
• Sprinkle vodka and water over mixture. With rubber spatula, use folding motion to mix, pressing down on dough until dough is slightly tacky and sticks together. Divide dough into two even balls and flatten each into 4-inch disk. Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 45 minutes or up to 2 days.

Steps:

• Whisk flour and salt together in a mixing bowl.
• Cut the cold butter and then the shortening into the flour mixture with a knife or pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
• Sprinkle vodka and water over the top of the mixture. Fold together ingredients until mixture sticks together to form a tacky dough. Divide dough into 2 halves; flatten each half into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate 1 hour to 2 days.
• When you are ready to make your pie, remove dough from refrigerator, roll each piece out for your pie from the middle to the edge. Bake according to your pie directions.

Steps:

• Process 3/4 cup flour, salt, and sugar in food processor until combined, about two 1-second pulses. Add butter and shortening and process until homogenous dough just starts to collect in uneven clumps, about 10 seconds; dough will resemble cottage cheese curds with some very small pieces of butter remaining, but there should be no uncoated flour. Scrape bowl with rubber spatula and redistribute dough evenly around processor blade. Add remaining 1/2 cup flour and pulse until mixture is evenly distributed around bowl and mass of dough has been broken up, 4 to 6 quick pulses. Empty mixture into medium bowl.
• Sprinkle vodka and water over mixture. With rubber spatula, use folding motion to mix, pressing down on dough until dough is slightly tacky and sticks together. Flatten dough into 4-inch disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 45 minutes or up to 2 days.
• Adjust oven rack to lowest position, place rimmed baking sheet on rack, and heat oven to 400 degrees. Remove dough from refrigerator and roll out on generously floured (up to 1/4 cup) work surface to 12-inch circle about 1/8 inch thick. Roll dough loosely around rolling pin and unroll into pie plate, leaving at least 1-inch overhang on each side. Working around circumference, ease dough into plate by gently lifting edge of dough with one hand while pressing into plate bottom with other hand. Refrigerate 15 minutes.
• Trim overhang to 1/2 inch beyond lip of pie plate. Fold overhang under itself; folded edge should be flush with edge of pie plate. Using thumb and forefinger, flute edge of dough. Refrigerate dough-lined plate until firm, about 15 minutes.
• Remove pie pan from refrigerator, line crust with foil, and fill with pie weights or pennies. Bake on rimmed baking sheet 15 minutes. Remove foil and weights, rotate plate, and bake 5 to 10 additional minutes until crust is golden brown and crisp. Remove pie plate and baking sheet from oven.
• For the Filling: While pie shell is baking, whisk cream, milk, eggs, yolks, and vanilla together in medium bowl. Combine pumpkin puree, yams, sugar, maple syrup, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in large heavy-bottomed saucepan; bring to sputtering simmer over medium heat, 5 to 7 minutes. Continue to simmer pumpkin mixture, stirring constantly and mashing yams against sides of pot, until thick and shiny, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Remove pan from heat and whisk in cream mixture until fully incorporated. Strain mixture through fine-mesh strainer set over medium bowl, using back of ladle or spatula to press solids through strainer. Rewhisk mixture and transfer to warm prebaked pie shell. Return pie plate with baking sheet to oven and bake pie for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 300 degrees and continue baking until edges of pie are set (instant-read thermometer inserted in center registers 175 degrees), 20 to 35 minutes longer. (The center 2 inches of the pie should look firm but jiggle slightly.) Transfer pie to wire rack and cool to room temperature, 2 to 3 hours. Serve at room temperature with whipped cream.

Steps:

• Cut butter into 1/2 tablespoon-sized chunks. Arrange on a plate and freeze until hard, about 20 minutes.
• Sift flour into the bowl of a food processor. Add sugar, salt, and baking powder. Add 1/2 of the frozen butter pieces and mix until incorporated. Add the remaining butter pieces and pulse briefly until pea-sized chunks are visible; do not overmix.
• Transfer dough to a mixing bowl and add ice water and vodka. Mix with a hand pastry blender just until a crumbly dough forms. Use your hands to compress the crumbs into a single ball of dough. Divide dough in half then roll each half into a balls wrap in plastic, and press flat into a disc. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.
• To use: remove from the refrigerator and roll each dough between 2 sheets of waxed paper; dough will be fairly sticky. Bake as directed for any pie recipe you are following.