Vegan Pie Pastry
Ingredients
1 1 ⁄ 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 ⁄ 2 teaspoon sea salt
1 ⁄ 2 cup extra-virgin coconut oil, chilled (see tips)
4 to 5 tablespoons unflavored, unsweetened almond milk, chilled
Instructions
Chill a rolling pin and a pastry cloth or kitchen towel in the refrigerator until ready to roll out the pastry.
Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add oil and use a pastry cutter or two knives to cut the oil into the flour (the mixture should look like rolled oats). Cut, don’t mash, the oil into the flour.
Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the milk over the mixture and blend using a fork. Add more milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, and blend until the mixture comes together to form a soft ball. Don’t overmix or knead the dough. Wrap the dough in plastic and chill for 12 to 15 minutes in the refrigerator.
Roll the pastry: Spread chilled pastry cloth over your workspace and sprinkle lightly with flour. Position chilled dough in the center of the cloth and pat it into a square or circle using your hands. Roll the dough out evenly to1⁄4 inch thick. You should have a rectangle that measures about 10 by 12 inches or a circle about 12 inches in diameter.
For Pies: Line a pie pan with the pastry, press into the bottom and up the sides of the pan, and trim away excess dough around the top of the pan.
For Tarts: Cut circles that measure 1 to 2 inches larger than the tart pan wells, press into the bottom and up the sides of the wells, and trim away excess dough around the top of the wells.
For Pot Pies: Cut circles that measure 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 inch smaller than the pot pie bowls and position over the filled pot pie bowls.
PAT’S TIPS
Do not use melted coconut oil in this recipe. The key to making flaky pastry is to use oil that is firm, yet soft enough to scoop into a 1 ⁄ 2-cup dry measuring cup. Best results are achieved if you measure 1 ⁄ 2 cup softened coconut oil and then chill it in the refrigerator.
You can double the recipe, cut two equal portions
of dough, and roll out a pie bottom and a top. Or, if you only need one portion, you can wrap the second portion tightly, label, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before rolling.
Makes 1 (12-Inch) Pie Shell
From "The Reducetarian Solution: How The Surprisingly Simple Act of Reducing The Amount of Meat in Your Diet Can Transform Your Health and The Planet" edited by Brian Kateman (Penguin Random House). Recipe developed by Pat Crocker. Photo by Ashleigh Amoroso.