Yields 1 (9-inch) crust
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
½ cup sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon heavy cream
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon heavy cream, half-and-half, or milk
1 large egg yolk
Combine the butter and sugar by creaming until well blended. Add the egg, heavy cream, and flour; combine until all the ingredients are well blended and form a ball.
Beat the egg yolk with the selected liquid, and brush on the pie crust with a pastry brush.
Chef’s Tip
One variation is to reduce the flour by 1 ounce and add 1½ ounces of cocoa powder. Or, you can reduce the flour by 4 ounces and add 4 ounces of ground nuts to produce a tender, flavorful pie crust known as a torte dough.