Raspberry (or Whatever) Pie with All-Butter Double Crust

This recipe is really all about the crust. You can use any pie filling you like, but what makes this pie crust so decadent, tender, and flaky is the butter. And only butter. Well and a little bit of sour cream too. It is just a great crust. So I totally made this pie with canned pie filling (gasp!), but it was what I had on hand one Sunday afternoon when I felt like making some pie. My family was very grateful for this whim and fought over who got the last piece (I think it was my husband that claimed it). This recipe is from the America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Cookbook - a simply wonderful cookbook with outstanding recipes that always turn out.

Also this recipe is perfect for Valentine's Day!! Nothing says "I love you" like a homemade pie. Your sweetheart will thank me.:)

Raspberry (or Whatever) Pie with All-Butter Double Crust

1/3 cup ice water, + more as needed
3 tablespoons sour cream
2 1/2 cups (12.5 oz) all purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar (leave out for savory pies)
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks or 16 tablespoons butter, cut into 1/4 inch pieces and frozen for 15 minutes
2 cans raspberry (or any flavor) pie filling, or homemade pie filling

1 egg white
1 tablespoon water
sugar for sprinkling on top

For Pie Crust:
In a food processor, process flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor until combined. Mix together 1/3 cup ice water and sour cream in a small bowl; set aside. Scatter butter pieces over the top of the flour mixture and pulse about 10 times until mixture resembles small peas. Pour half of the sour cream/water mixture over the flour mixture and pulse 3 times. Add remaining sour cream/water mixture and pulse 3 times. Pinch dough together with your fingers; if it feels too loose and dry add another 1-2 tablespoons of ice water. Pulse until the dough forms large clumps - about 3-5 pulses.

Turn dough onto a floured surface and divide into 2 equal pieces. Flatten each piece into a 4-6 inch disk. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for half an hour. (Tightly wrapped dough can be frozen for up to 3 months, just thaw completely before rolling out.)

Pie Assembly:
Preheat oven to 375.

After dough has chilled for 1/2 hour, lay dough on a floured surface and roll dough outward from center into a 12 inch circle, flip dough over and reflour surface one time during rolling and turn dough frequently to avoid sticking. Loosely roll dough over rolling pin, then gently unroll over pie plate. Lift dough and gently press into pie plate, letting excess hang over the pie plate.

Fill dough with filling (2 cans of pie filling is usually the right amount). Repeat rolling out process with other half of the pie dough. If desired, and I always do this, use a small cookie cutter to cut out vents - using a small star cutter I cut out 5 stars in the dough. Roll dough loosely around rolling pin and place on top of filling, letting excess dough hand off pie plate. Use scissors and trim all but 1/2 inch of dough over the hanging edge of the pie plate. Press top and bottom crusts together, then tuck edges underneath and around inside edge of pie plate. Crimp dough evenly around the edge of pie, using you fingers to form a zig-zagging crimp. If you did not cut vents with a cookie cutter, cut vents now with a paring knife - about 8 vents since raspberry pies are juicier, use 4 vents if you're making a drier pie like apple.

In a small bowl mix egg white and 1 tablespoon water. Brush on top of pie and sprinkle with about 2 teaspoons of sugar. Place pie on a foil lined baking sheet and bake at 375 fro about 1 hour or until shiny and golden brown on top and golden on bottom (you'll only be about to see this if you use a glass pie plate). Place on a wire rack and cool for 2 hours. Whew, you're done, but wasn't it worth it!!