Elderberry Pie

Foolproof Pie Crust

(Adapted from a recipe found on 101 Cookbooks)

Ingredients:

• 2 ½ cups (12 1/2 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon table salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold dairy-free margarine, cut into slices
• ½ cup cold vegetable shortening, cut into 4 pieces
• ¼ cup cold vodka
• ¼ cup cold water

Directions:

Using a food processor, process 1 1/2 cups flour, salt, and sugar until combined (2 one-second pulses). Add margarine and shortening and process until dough just starts to collect in uneven clumps (15 seconds). Your dough will resemble cottage cheese and there should be no uncoated flour. Use a rubber spatula to redistribute dough evenly around processor blade. Add remaining cup of flour and pulse until mixture is evenly distributed (4 to 6 quick pulses). Empty mixture into a medium bowl.

Sprinkle cold vodka and water pie dough mixture. With rubber spatula, use folding motion to mix, pressing down on dough until dough is slightly tacky and sticks together. Divide dough into two even balls and flatten each into 4-inch disk. Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 45 minutes or up to 2 days.

Elderberry Pie

Ingredients:

• 1 Foolproof Pie Crust
• 4 cups elderberries, (rinsed and drained)
• 1 ½ cup sugar
• ¼ cup cold water
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions:

Prepare Pie Crust.
Next, heat your oven to 375 degrees.

In the meantime, place berries and sugar in a pan. Mix cornstarch with cold water and add to pan. Cook, stirring occasionally until mixture thickens and then add lemon juice.

Pour berry mixture into pie crust. Dot with margarine and add top crust or make a lattice. Simply Recipes has a great tutorial on how to make a lattice pie (which I wish I would have followed!).

Bake the pie for approximately 45 minutes, until the crust is browned. You should put a pan underneath the pie to protect your oven from any overflow.