There’s a certain catharsis that comes from the dance of making a pie from start to finish. A declaration of a pause, a project, a Sunday afternoon spent weaving tender crust into lattice. Nostalgia, a warm kitchen, and the notes of cinnamon and bubbling strawberries wafting through the home.

For the crust, I suggest putting your butter and shortening in the freezer for a few hours before working it into the dough, so it is a s chilled as possible. You can make this crust in a food processor, or by hand. I prefer to make the crust by hand as I think the butter distributes into flecks rather than all becoming a homogeneous piece of dough. The flakiness of your crust will be determined by how the butter is distributed, which will result in pockets of air. The key to any crust is to work with it as little as possible. If making it by hand, I suggest using a pastry cutter or a Danish Dough Whisk. Best crusts I have ever made have all been with the help of the dough whisk.

Swaps are written in the tips of the week. Pie Crust adapted from Ina Garten. If you are gluten free, I might suggest buying a store bought pie shell in the frozen section and topping with an oat crumble topping. I can’t attest to how well the dough would hold up in a lattice.