Easy 5 Ingredient Cobbler and Pie Crust

An easy-to-make and versatile pie crust with 5 simple ingredients

My Great Grandmother Molly was known for her blackberry cobbler. It was filled with layers of dreamy, sweet fruit and the most flakey, crispy, tender pie crust recipe. It’s no-frills, no-fuss, vodka-free pie crust that turns out perfectly every time. In fact, it has just 5 ingredients: flour, butter, salt, an egg, and water.

Watching her make it was like watching a master at work, and she got the whole family involved. Some of my favorite memories growing up involve going blackberry picking in the fields of Kentucky, or driving out to a farmer’s home and picking up an entire flat of fresh, plump, deeply-hued blackberries. Our fingers would be stained purple by the time we arrived at Molly’s house, spilling out of the car, jolly with thoughts of cobbler for dessert that night.

Watching her mix flour, butter, salt, eggs, and ice cold water was so special; she was in her element. Her blackberry cobbler was the cornerstone of my family’s annual summer visits to Kentucky – just like our trips to Holiday World (an amazing water park/ theme park in Indiana), blackberry cobbler was a defining component to my childhood summers.

One of my last summers with Molly was also one of the first summers when I was discovering my love of cooking. We went to a you-pick farm where we filled buckets and buckets with blackberries. I loved the feeling of them in my hand as I picked them; warm from the sun, plump, ready to burst their deeply hued juices into the summer air. Molly graciously spent an afternoon with me, my mom, and my sister, slowing down her process and sharing each step with us – she cooked much by how the dough felt, but I wanted to record her recipe so that it would live on forever.

Making pie crust with Molly in Kentucky

As I sit here at my kitchen table, nine years later, eating the last slice of pie made with her recipe, I can’t help but smile. Molly taught my mom how to bake when she was young, and I grew up in the kitchen alongside my mom as she churned out amazing cakes, holiday cookies, the best soups, and comfort foods that I cherish to this day. I wonder how much longer it would have taken me to discover my passion for cooking if it wasn’t for my family lineage of incredible home chefs – on both sides.

Sharing this recipe is like sharing a piece of my heart – and also a piece of the hearts of every member of my family who was touched by Molly and who enjoyed her amazing cobblers. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

This is just the recipe for the dough. It’s a classic, no fuss cobbler dough that also doubles as pie crust. I use it for every pie or cobbler recipe I make as it can easily translate to either savory or sweet pies. I love making a strawberry, peach, and rhubarb in the summer, and apple pies in the fall. It’s great with chicken pot pie, too.

5 Ingredient Pie Crust and Cobbler Dough

Print Recipe

Serves: 1 Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

2 (240 g) cups flour
3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp (about 200 g) unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 tsp (6 g) salt
1 egg
3+ Tbsp (44 mL) ice cold water

Instructions

If using a food processor: combine flour, salt, and cubed butter in a food processor. Pulse until the butter is the size of peas. In a cup, whisk together the egg and 3 tbsp ice cold water. With the food processor running on low, pour the egg and water mixture in. As soon as it starts to come together into a ball (should only take like 30 seconds), shut the food processor off. Press the mixture into a ball (you can add a little more water if absolutely necessary). Cut in half and wrap with plastic wrap or Bees Wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until ready to use.

If using a pastry blender/flour cutter (Molly's way): combine flour, salt and cubed butter in a large mixing bowl. Use your pastry blender to cut the butter into the dough until it resembles the size of peas. In a separate cup, whisk together the egg and ice cold water. Mixing with the pastry blender, slowly pour the water and egg into the bowl. Mix until it starts to come together into a ball, and then use your hands to press the dough together. Cut in half and wrap with plastic wrap or Bees Wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until ready to use.