Secret to Tender Pie Crusts: Vodka
I make a damn fine pie, but my crusts have always been a bit shit. Now I’ve got a new recipe in the wings, courtesy of Cooks Illustrated, which while untested seems brilliantly obvious: add some booze.
The trick to this pie crust is the inclusion of vodka. Eighty-proof vodka, which is 60 percent water and 40 percent alcohol, adds moistness to the dough without aiding in gluten formation since gluten doesn’t form in ethanol. Although the recipe includes 8 tablespoons of liquid, the alcohol vaporizes during baking, resulting in a tender crust that only contains 6 1/2 tablespoons of water. Because of the extra liquid, the dough will be moister than most standard pie doughs and will require up to 1/4 cup more flour.
I wonder how this would work with bourbon? I could see the bourbon taste in an apple pie being amazing.
Cook’s Illustrated’s Foolproof Pie Dough [SeriousEats.com]
Original post by Joel