Dairy-Free Pie Dough

There's one in every group — people who can't eat food.

It's a tragic fate, but genetics is a cruel master.

Living in a family that has experienced more than its fair share of dietary limitations has allowed me to see how frustrating and limiting special diets can be. Especially at parties. Especially at the dessert table where nearly everything is made with dairy, or gluten, or nuts, or eggs.

It's easy to give up hope in ever having a good dessert again and to go diving elbow-deep into the nearest pudding pie, to hell with the allergic reaction!

But happy news! Good, tasty, delicious food within special diets do exist.

For instance, you can make a healthy and tasty pie that's completely dairy-free.

If the concept of a completely dairy- and lard-free pie gives you trust issues, I assure you that I have snuck this recipe under the nose of many scrutinous aunts, uncles, and grandparents at parties and not a one of them suspected the secret ingredient was soy!

The key to attaining that perfect dough texture is keeping the liquid ingredients cold, and I mean cold, right up until the moment of mixing. Sometimes I'll even throw the water into the freezer for a few minutes to really chill it. Plus, the dough is an easier texture to knead and roll with when it's cold.

Did you know you can mix dough in a food processor? It's so much easier since the dough can easily be mixed in seconds without the warmth of your hands messing with the cold temperature of the dough.

When the dough comes out of the food processor, it can be moist and sticky. Really sticky. So unless you want to be like me when I first made this dough, calling for my husband to help scrap the dough off my hands and into the storage bowl, then you might want to generously coat your hands with flour. Dusting your hands and the cutting board with flour before man-handling the dough will make you untouchable...or unstickable.

Pie dough works best when it's rolled thin. Thick crust tends to get soggy or gooey. Thin is easier to fold over the pie form and thin bakes through better with a crisp exterior. 

Depending on how thin you roll the dough, this recipe usually makes three pie bottoms or one covered pie and one pie bottom. Simply roll the dough out when you're ready to bake, lay it over the pie pan and cut off the excess. The edges can be crimped or they can be folded under the top layer of a covered pie.

Dairy-Free Pie Dough

2 1/2 cups flour

3/4 tsp salt

2 tsp sugar

1/2 cup cold soy margarine (like Earth Balance)

8 oz cold dairy free cream cheese (like Tofutti)

< 1/3 cup ice cold water

1. Combine flour, salt, and sugar in food processor and pulse to mix.
2. Add soy margarine and cream cheese to food processor and pulse until crumbly.
3. Add cold water a little at a time and pulse food processor until dough is kneaded.
4. Dust your hands in flour before lifting the dough out of the food processor. Store in a bowl or plastic bag to chill for at least 1 hour or overnight.
5. When you're ready to make a pie, take half of the pie dough and roll it out on a flour-covered cutting board until it's about an 1/8th inch thick and wide enough to fit into a pie pan.
6. Drape the pie dough over the pie pan and cut off the excess pie dough leaving a good 1/2 inch margin to use to crimp the edge or tuck it under the top roof of the pie.
7. Season the pie crust and fill with your choice of pie ingredients and bake according to pie filling instructions (usually at 375 - 400°F for 30 minutes to 1 hour depending on the filling).  
8. Let rest before serving. 

Rating of Difficulty: 2 out of 5. Pies are a staple in our house and, with the food processor, it only takes minutes to whip up and makes enough for multiple pies. It really helps to have the food processor, but the dough can be rolled out by hand with a little more effort. Practice makes perfect when learning to roll out the dough.

Stop by next week and I'll share how to use this pie dough recipe for a Strawberry Rhubarb pie. This recipe is also a great dough to use for quiche or chicken pie. It's not as flaky as a buttery dough, but it definitely satisfies the craving for crisp on the outside yummy on the inside dough.

*I've been using this recipe for years, so sad to say, I don't remember the source. Possibly About.com? Whoever first gave me this recipe, thanks to you for the tip!

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