Vodka is the secret ingredient to making a tender and flaky pie crust. It does a couple of things. First, it hydrates the dough without activating gluten, leaving it tender. Second, the vodka evaporates quicker than water, creating a crisp crust with no soggy bottom!
This delicious stone fruit galette is perfect for peaches, cherries, plums, and more. Although it looks pretty fancy, it's a simple vodka and butter pie dough, fruit, cornstarch, and sugar.
Prepare the pie dough and let it rest in the refrigerator for an hour while you prepare the filling.
Vodka & Butter Pie Crust
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into ¼-inch slices
1/8 cup ice water
1/8 cup cold Spring44 Vodka
1.) In a food processor, pulse the dry ingredients to mix or do it by hand.
2.) Add the butter slices and slowly pulse until the butter is pea-sized and looks like wet sand (don't pulse too much, or the crust will be dense).
3.) Add the liquid ingredients and slowly pulse until a shaggy d. Lightly dust your surface with flour and tip the dough onto the flour. Don't worry if it's not in one piece. With your hand, work the pieces of dough into a disk on your surface.
4.) Gently press to bring the dough together. Wrap the disk in plastic wrap and chill it in the refrigerator for an hour.
Stone Fruit Galette
1 pie crust
3 cups sliced stone fruit (cherries, nectarines, peaches, plums, etc.)
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp sugar
1 egg & 1 tsp milk
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
1.) Wash and slice your stone fruit (discarding any pits). Sprinkle sugar and cornstarch over the fruit and mix.
2.) Unwrap the pie crust and roll it out on a lightly floured surface. Carefully move the pie crust onto a flat cookie sheet (line with parchment, if you wish).
3.) Pour the fruit into the middle of the crust, leaving a 3-inch border if possible. Fold the border over the fruit.
4.) Whisk the egg and milk together and brush over the crust. You can sprinkle demerara sugar over the wash for some added crunch.
5.) Bake until crust is golden brown, about 30-40 minutes. Let cool.
Optional toppings:
- fresh herbs (mint, sage, or thyme)
- ice cream
- whipped cream
