Vodka Pie Crust

How could I not make this?

Yield:  Enough for one 9-inch double-crust pie

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into small bits
1/4 cup cold vodka

Directions:
You can do this by hand, or with a mixer.  I'm incredibly lazy, so I used a mixer.  I use a mixer for everything... mashed potatoes, pie dough, vaccuuming...

Simply add the flour, salt, and sugars and mix until combined.  Next, add the butter and and mix until the dough begins to clump - it will sort of resemble cheese curds.  Remove the dough and transfer to a clean bowl.  Sprinkle the vodka over the dough and mix with a spatula.  Divide into two even balls and flatten each into a circle.  Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 days.

When you are ready to make your pie, remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator.  A nice trick to use instead of rolling the dough out in flour and making a huge mess is to place it between two sheets of plastic wrap and roll it out like that.

To fit a 9 inch pie dish, you will need to roll the dough into about a 12 inch circle.  Remove the dough from the plastic wrap and lay it gently in the pie dish.  Press into the bottom of the pan and up the sides, crimping the edges as you go along (to make it look pretty!).  I would suggest placing the crust in the oven and browning it for about 5 minutes before you fill it, so the crust doesn't get soggy.  Also, if you are not using this as a double crust pie, you will have extra dough left over.

Tips:  The vodka in this recipe evaporates in the oven and, unfortunately, leaves no flavor behind!  However, it does help make the dough more airy and crisp.  Also, you can never underestimate the enthusiasm people will display when you tell them there is liquor in the dessert.  Enjoy!