Buttery Double Crust

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
8 tablespoons vegan nonhydrogenated margarine, chilled
8 tablespoons nonhydrogenated shortening
6 tablespoons ice water
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour and salt. Mix in the sugar. Add half the margarine and shortening, 1/2 tablespoon at a time, cutting it into the flour with your fingers or a pastry cutter until the flour mixture appears pebbly. Add the remaining margarine and shortening.

2. In a cup, combine 4 tablespoons of the ice water with the apple cider vinegar. Drizzle it into the flour by the tablespoonful, gently mixing the flour after each addition. Gently knead the dough a few times, adding more water until it holds together. You may only need the 4 tablespoons of water, but add up to 2 more tablespoons if necessary.

3. Divide the dough in half and place one portion on a lightly floured board. Use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll the dough into a circle about 1/4 inch thick. For a uniform circle, roll the pin 1 or 2 strokes outward, turn the dough a few degrees, roll a few times more, and repeat. Repeat with remaining half of the dough and use as directed in recipe.

Note: This recipe makes enough dough for one 9-inch top and bottom crust. If you're making a single crust pie, rather than cutting the recipe in half, just wrap the unused half of the dough well and freeze it for another use.

This recipe was reprinted with permission from Vegan Pie in the Sky, by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero (Da Capo Lifelong Books, 2011).