If anyone offers you their super secret pie crust recipe, add two more tablespoons of butter.  They're holding out on you.

My recipe features goat milk butter which gives the crust a funky taste and reminds me fondly of the goats my Aunt Terri and Uncle Harv raised.  Tom's Market stocks a fine brand of this specialty butter.  I usually have several 8-ounce pads in my freezer at any given time.  

Please, note, the ingredients listed below are enough for the bottom crust so repeat to make the top crust and a full pie.  You can mix them up together in one batch instead of two of course, but I'm limited by what fits in my food processor.

Bottom Crust:

4 oz goat milk butter (frozen)

1 1/4 to 1 1/3 cups of flour

1 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

3+ Tbsp ice water

1 egg yolk (optional)

For top crust, use the same proportions above.

Mix the dry ingredients and cut in the cold, cold butter using a food processor, pastry knife or a good old fork. Add the ice water and mix with wood spoon so the butter crumbles clump together. This yields a dry dough which you can form into a ball by hand. Wrap in wax paper and flatten. If the ball breaks into pieces when you flatten it, it is too dry, so dampen your hands to reshape the ball and try again. Chill for an hour. Make a second batch if you need a top crust for your pie. 

You'll want to roll the dough on a cold surface. On a warm day, cover your counter top with a tray of ice while the crust chills. You can also put your pastry board in a cold garage overnight. Place the chilled dough on the floured board and pound it flatter. Roll the dough thin to fill your pie plate. The width of the wax paper is about right for my pie dish: 9in deep-dish stoneware from Miami Valley Pottery. For the bottom crust, roll the dough over your rolling pin to place it in the pan. For the top, cut out patterns in the top crust first... I have little stars, hearts, and even a little squirrel cookie cutter for this task... and then transfer over the stuffed pie. Tuck the top crust over the edge of the bottom crust. Shape the edges. If you like, brush a wash of an egg yoke and a splash of water and chill for 30 minutes to set. 

Bake as appropriate for your filling. I typically use a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes, cover with my trusty pie crust shield and reduce the oven to 375 degrees for another 45-60 minutes. If you don't use the egg wash, the crust will look pale, not the golden brown pictured above.

This recipe works well in November, but I warn you it's tricker in the summertime when the butter softens in the heat.