Ingredients
Equipment
Instructions
For the pie crust:
- Put the flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor and pulse to combine.
- Sprinkle the cold butter over the flour in the food processor. Pulse until the mixture looks crumbly with large pea-sized chunks of butter.
- Drizzle the apple cider vinegar over top. Turn the machine on and immediately start drizzling cold water through the feed tube. Stop the machine once the mixture starts to come together and looks shaggy. Give the dough the pinch test- if it sticks together, it's ready to go. If not, turn the machine on again and drizzle in a bit more water. You might not need all of the water. You want a shaggy dough, not a cohesive ball.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and shape it into a ball. Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces and form each into a flat disk. Wrap the disks in plastic wrap and refrigerate them for at least 30 minutes or for up to 2 days. Do Ahead: The wrapped disks can be placed in freezer bags and frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before using. If the dough has been in the fridge for several hours, let it sit at room temperature until slightly softened, about 10-20 minutes.
- Roll it out on a lightly floured piece of parchment paper. If the edges crack as you roll, simply patch them as needed.
- Transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie plate, making sure to get in the corners. Trim the dough to a ½-inch overhang. Fold the overhang under to form a ring around the pie plate. Crimp the ring, if you'd like. (Crimp the edge gently all the way around the crust by pinching the dough at regular intervals with one hand, and creating a crimped impression with the forefinger of the other hand.) At this point, if the dough feels like it's getting soft, put the pie plate in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes to firm up.
For the pumpkin pie:
- Preheat oven to 425℉. Line a baking sheet with tinfoil; set aside.
- In a stand mixer with whisk attachment or an electric mixer, combine sugar, cornstarch, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, pumpkin puree, and eggs. Beat well.
- Add evaporated milk and vanilla, and combine.
- Optional: Brush the raw and chilled pie crust with beaten egg white before baking for extra insurance against sogginess.
- Pour filling into pie shell. Transfer to prepared baking sheet. Optional: Place a pie crust shield over the rim of the crust to prevent it from burning. Remove the pie crust shield for the last 10 minutes of baking, if needed, to brown the rim of the crust to desired golden brown color.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350℉ and continue baking for 35 minutes more. Check for doneness, the filling should have some give when you move it. Insert a cake tester or knife about an inch from the center. It should come out clean if the pie is done. Cool on a wire rack.
Notes
If you prefer to not use gluten free flour, you can substitute all purpose flour using the same measurement.
If you don't have a food processor you can make this dough by hand. Whisk the dry ingredients in a large bowl, then add the cold butter cubes. Using your fingers (or a pastry cutter), rub the butter into the flour mixture, toss and smashing it until it's incorporated but you still see larger pea sized chunks. Drizzle in the apple cider vinegar and cold water, then toss with a fork until the dough comes together. From there you can turn it out onto a floured piece of parchment paper as indicated in the recipe.
This pie crust recipe makes enough for two pie crusts. Either divide the recipe in half to make one pie crust or freeze the spare crust and use at a later time.