All Butter Pie Crust Single Crust Pie

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Ingredients:
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled
1 1/4 cup (6 1/4 ounces), AP flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup ice water

Preparation:
Grate 2 tablespoons butter on large holes of box grater and place in freezer.  Cut remaining 8 tablespoons of  butter into 1/2-inch cubes.

Pulse 3/4 cup flour, sugar, and salt in food processor, 2 pulses.  Add cubed butter and process until a homogeneous paste forms, about 30 seconds.  Using your hands, carefully break paste into 2-inch chunks and redistribute evenly around processor blade.  Add the remaining 1/2 cup flour and pulse until mixture is broken into pieces no larger than 1 inch, 4 to 5 pulses.  Transfer mixture to medium bowl. 

Add grated butter and toss until butter pieces are separated and coated with flour.  Sprinkle 2 tablespoons ice water over mixture.  Toss with rubber spatula until mixture is evenly moistened.  If too dry, add the remaining ice water.  If moist, wrap dough in plastic wrap and form a 5-inch disk.  Chill dough for at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.

Wrapped dough can be frozen up to one month.  If frozen, let dough thaw completely on counter before rolling out.

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Roll dough out to a 12-inch circle between pieces of plastic wrap.  If dough gets too warm, refrigerate before placing in pie pan.  Ease dough into pie pan leaving a one-inch edge, pressing down into the bottom.  Trim overhang to 1/2 inch beyond lip of pan.  Tuck edge under and crimp the edges using your fingers.  Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.  Line chilled pie shell with parchment paper or foil and fill with pie weights.  Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.  Remove parchment and pie weights.  Continue to bake another 10 to 15 minutes until crust is golden brown and crisp.  If edges start to burn, cover with foil.  If dough begins to puff, pierce gently with tip of paring knife.  Cool crust completely in pie plate on wire rack, about 30 minutes.

History:
Recipe comes from Cooks Illustrated.

Pumpkin Bread

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Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups AP flour

3 cups sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

One 15 oz. can pumpkin puree

2 teaspoons fine salt

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon all spice

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cloves

2/3 cup water

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter and flour two 9 by 5 inch loaf pans.

Whisk together the sugar and oil in a large bowl until well combined.  Whisk in the eggs and pumpkin until well combined. 

Combine the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon and cloves in medium bowl and whisk until well combined.  Add half the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and stir to combine.  Repeat with remaining flour and water.

Divide the batter between the prepared loaf pans.  Bake until cake tester comes out clean and the loaves are golden brown, about 1 hour. Let the loaves cool in the pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes.  Remove from the pans and let cool completely, about 1 hour.