Browned Butter Pie Crust Recipe

Okay it's a few days before Thanksgiving and I'm prepping everything as much as I can. So I decided to prep the pie crusts! Are store bought easier? Well yeah sure.. but.. this pie crust recipe takes your pies to the next level! Who doesn't want everyone talking about how amazing their pie is right?! So this year do yourself a favor and take the time to make this pie crust recipe and see what everyone says.

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter (I used salted)
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 1/3 cup ice water

*This recipe can be doubled! I doubled it for the couple of pies I'm making this week so that's why the pictures show double the amount!

Directions

• Heat the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat - stirring frequently. Two sticks will take about 8-10 minutes. Don't let it burn. The butter will foam and turn an amber color. Keep stirring and pull it off the heat when the color deepens and it smells like heaven.

• Line a paper plate with foil with excess hanging over the sides. Pour the browned butter into the foil bowl and then fold in the excess to stop spillage. Carefully move it to the freezer and let it solidify. About 30-45 minutes.

• Remove the solidified butter from the plate and foil and cut into small chunks.

• In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt and browned butter. You can use a pastry cutter, fork or your hands to combine. I always start with forks but end up using my hands. Continue to mix the butter pieces into the flour mixture until it resembles wet, clumpy sand.

• Whisk ice water and egg together and slowly add to the flour mixture and mix into the dough until it comes together. 
• Divide the dough into two equal balls and flatten into disks. I wrapped them in parchment and will refrigerate for two days until I get ready to bake my pies. Since I doubled the recipe, I will need to cut each disk in half for 4 pies or 2 double pastry pies (top and bottom have pie crusts).

• When you are ready to use the dough, just roll out and bake as usual!
• You can freeze the dough disks for up to 3 months. Wrap in plastic wrap tight. Thaw in refrigerator overnight the day before baking.

This pie crust goes so well with so many versions of pie. It's great with fruit pies, especially apple but this year I'm using it with my sweet potato and pecan pies. Yum!