Recipe: Pie crust

Pie crust

Total time: 10 minutes, plus chilling times

Servings: Makes enough crust for a 2-crust pie.

2 scant cups flour, plus extra for rolling out the crust

3/4 cup butter, cut into small cubes

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

1. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt. Place the flour and salt mixture in a large sealable plastic bag. Add the butter cubes to the bag and toss to distribute. Squeeze out the excess air before sealing.

2. Use a rolling pin and roll over the bag, flattening the butter into flakes. Chill the flattened mixture for 30 minutes, then sprinkle one-fourth cup water over the butter/flour mixture. Quickly stir until the mixture forms a dough that holds together when pinched. If the mixture is too dry, continue to add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough comes together. Be careful not to overwork the dough or it will become tough.

3. Form the dough into 2 flat disks 5 to 6 inches in diameter. Wrap the disks tightly in plastic wrap and chill again.

4. On a floured board, roll out each crust with a rolling pin to a diameter of about 12 inches (for a 9-inch pie). If the fruit is piled high in the bottom crust, you may need to roll the top crust a little larger than 12 inches; just make sure you have enough dough to go over the mounded fruit with a half-inch overlap.

Each of 10 servings: 213 calories; 3 grams protein; 19 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram fiber; 14 grams fat; 9 grams saturated fat; 37 mg cholesterol; 0 sugar; 119 mg sodium.