Hoosier Mama's Sugar Cream Pie

1. To Make the Pie Dough: Cut the butter into 1/2-inch cubes. Freeze 5 tablespoons for 20 minutes or overnight; chill the remaining 1 1/8 sticks in the refrigerator until ready to use.

2. Stir the red wine vinegar into the cold water and set aside.

3. Combine the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor and pulse 5 or 6 times to combine. Add chilled butter and mix for 25 to 30 seconds, until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add frozen butter and pulse 15 to 20 times, until the butter is in pea-sized pieces.

4. Add 6 tablespoons of vinegar water and pulse 6 times. The dough should start to look crumbly. Test the dough by squeezing a small amount in the palm of your hand. If it easily holds together, it is done. If not, add 1/2 tablespoon of vinegar water and pulse 3 more times. Repeat this process as needed until dough holds together.

5. Transfer dough to lightly floured work surface and knead together until smooth; dough should never come together in the food processor.

6. Divide dough into 2 equal parts and roll each into ball. Flatten balls slightly and wrap separately in plastic wrap. Let dough rest in refrigerator until ready to use, at least 20 minutes but preferably overnight.

7. When ready to use, take one dough ball out of the refrigerator. The other can be frozen, for future pies.

8. Roll dough out into a 14-inch circle, 1/16- to 1/8-inch-thick. Use a pan lid or bowl as a guide.

9. Lightly coat a 9-inch pie tin with cooking spray and dust with flour. Rotate the tin to coat the side. Turn the tin over and tap out any excess flour.

10. Pick dough circle up firmly by the edges and center onto prepared pie tin. Tap pie tin on counter several times until dough settles into it. Gently press dough into corners of pie tin with fingertips.

11. To Crimp the Shell: Gently roll edges of pie dough under, with your thumb and index finger resting the rolled edge on the rim of the tin. Be careful not to pull dough up out of pie tin as you go. This will cause the shell to sink back into the tin as it bakes and leave you with a too-short pie crust.

12. Grab edge of pie shell with the thumb and index finger of each hand, about an inch apart. Bring your right hand toward you and to the left as you push your left hand away from you and to the right. Place your left hand 1/2 inch to the right of first crimp, and repeat the process until you have worked your way around pie shell.

13. Place your index finger behind each crimp and squeeze the point on the outside of the pie shell with thumb and index finger. Because our pie dough is all butter, and butter softens and melts so quickly in the oven, it is important to start with as sharp and well-defined a crimp as possible.

14. Place the crimped pie shell in the refrigerator to rest for at least 20 minutes, then transfer to the freezer for 20 minutes to overnight.

15. To Blind Bake: Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Place the frozen, crimped pie shell on a baking sheet. Line the inside of the shell with parchment paper or a coffee filter. Fill with uncooked beans until beans are even with top edge of crimp. Press down on beans to make sure they spread to edges of shell.

16. Bake for 20 minutes, rotating 180° halfway through. The outer edge of crimp should be dry and golden brown.

17. To Make the Filling: Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C), and place pie shell on baking sheet. Set aside.

18. Combine granulated sugar, brown sugar, flour, and salt in a medium bowl. Mix with a whisk or by hand to break up any clumps and to combine ingredients.

19. Gently stir in heavy cream with wooden spoon or spatula. Do not overmix. Whipping the cream will prevent the pie from setting. Stir in vanilla paste.

20. To Make the Pie: Pour filling into prepared pie shell and bake for 20 minutes. Rotate 180° and bake for 20 to 25 more minutes, until large bubbles cover the surface. The pie will not appear to be set when it comes out of the oven.

21. Cool to room temperature, then chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, up to overnight, before slicing. Dust with confectioners’ sugar before serving.

Special equipment

9-inch pie plate

This Recipe Appears In

• Bake the Book: Sugar Cream Pie