Murbteig Pie Pastry

I have to admit that I've always hated making pie crust. Like other cooking chores, such as handling raw meat, Joe was the one willing to coddle along a pie crust so that it wasn't worked too hard (and became tough), or split and crumbled in all directions.

But then Joe started working tremendous hours in his small business, and my craving for quiches and pastys (if you don't know what this is, the recipe is coming up soon) went unfulfilled. Around that time, I discovered this easy German pastry recipe that makes a flaky, delicate, full-flavored crust. Even better, it will handle just about any amount of rolling and primping and re-forming without getting chewy and hard. It absorbs fruit juices without getting soggy.

I'm smitten. I can't find enough reasons to roll out this dough. I hope you like it, too.

The recipe makes enough pastry dough for a double-crust pie. You can easily cut this recipe in half for a cheesecake, quiche or tart. If you're using this pastry to make a fruit pie, it's traditional to add a few drops of lemon oil or 1/4 tsp lemon zest along with the eggs.

2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick cold butter (do not substitute)
2 large eggs

Stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Chop the butter into small pieces and sprinkle it over the top. With a pastry cutter or fork, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse meal.

Whisk the eggs in a separate bowl, then mix them into the dry ingredients until the mixture forms a smooth pastry. Wrap it in parchment or waxed paper and it let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes, so that it's easier to handle.

Cut the dough in half and roll each half out into a circle, or press it into a pie plate or springform pan with your fingers. Prick the bottom with a fork. Add any filling to the pan before adding the top crust and pinching together the edges.