Page 130 - Pie Squared

SHORTBREAD CRUST

For a Single-Crust Slab Pie

With a tender crumb like a cookie, this quick-to-make crust pairs with
any fruit or custard filling, and there’s no rolling pin involved. This is
the crust I make when I discover a patch of blackberries behind a
rented weekend cottage, as it requires no rolling pin and only 30

minutes of chilling before I can bake up something berry-full.

6 tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature

⅓ cup (67 g) granulated sugar

1 egg yolk

1½ cups (180 g) all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Heat the oven to 350°F; if you have one, place a baking stone,
Baking Steel, or inverted baking sheet on the center rack to heat
(see here).

Using a stand mixer, hand mixer, or strong wooden spoon, beat
the butter and sugar until smooth, lightened, and fluffy, about 5
minutes with the stand mixer. Add the egg yolk and beat until fully
incorporated. Add the flour and salt and stir until a crumbly dough is

formed.
Scrape the dough into a 9- by 13-inch baking sheet and, working
with pieces no larger than a walnut, press the crust up the sides and
well into the corners of the pan before worrying about the bottom.

Then use a metal cup measure or a flat-bottomed glass to press out
the remaining dough as uniformly as possible to about a ¼-inch
thickness. Decorate the top edge using a table knife, a fork, or
another tool, making slight indentations all the way around. Chill the