A double recipe of pie crust will give you nice thick deep dish crusts, and plenty of extra dough for decorating..
Ingredients
4 cups flour
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups shortening (chilled)
½ cup cold milk
2 tablespoons vodka (or vinegar, if you prefer)
Instructions
Prepare your pie filling of choice.
In a large bowl, combine flour and salt.
Cut shortening into the mixture (using a pastry blender or your fingertips) until there are no lumps bigger than a pea.
Combine milk and vodka and add to the dry ingredients all at once.
Use a fork or rubber spatula to lightly combine. Separate into two balls..
Between two sheets of floured parchment, flatten one of the balls of dough and roll out to a size at least 2 inches bigger all the way around than your pie pan. Add a little flour as needed to keep it from sticking to the parchment. Remove top parchment and, using your pie pan as a guide, cut out a circle approximately 1 inch bigger around than the pie pan. Set aside the scraps for decorations.
Slide a flat baking sheet under the bottom parchment and place your pie pan upside down in the center of the dough. With one hand under the baking sheet and one on the top of the pie pan, flip it over. Remove the baking sheet and gently peel back the parchment. Ease dough into the pan. Place in the refrigerator.
Roll the second ball of dough the same size as the first, between sheets of floured parchment. Remove the top parchment and cut the circle of dough, saving the scraps, Using a cookie cutter, cut a star shape out of the middle. Slide a baking sheet under the bottom parchment and refrigerate while you work on the decorations.
Combine all scraps and roll out thinly between parchment.
Cut out 8 rectangles for flags. With a toothpick make guidelines for stripes and a large square in the upper left hand corner, poked with the toothpick for "stars". With a large sharp knife, cut thin strips to make stripes. Lay them on the rectangles, letting them fall over the edge, and press gently. Trim the excess dough from the sides.
Make roses: Roll a small strip of dough to make the center. Cut round circles and overlap them around the center, pinching the outer edges to make them thin so they'll curl down a bit. Shape with your fingers. Holding the flower right below the petals, pinch off the excess dough from the bottom so the flowers will set neatly on the crust. Make 8 roses.
Heat oven to 375 F.
Remove crusts from the refrigerator.
Fill the bottom crust and cover with the top, keeping the star centered. Crimp the edges.
Arrange flags and roses around the outer edge.
Place a baking sheet under the pie and bake approximately 40 minutes, or until the top crust is a rich golden brown.
Recipe by The Rowdy Baker at http://www.therowdybaker.com/?p=4736