Place butter and shortening in the freezer for 15 minutes (you can use all butter if you like, but shortening really does make it lighter and flakier). Combine the water and vodka in a glass and place in freezer for 15 minutes.

In a food processor, pulse together remaining dry ingredients. Add the butter and shortening, pulsing until the mixture resembles coarse meal. With processor running, add the cold water/vodka mixture 1 tablespoon at a time, just until the mixture just barely starts to clump together (probably will need only 2-4 Tbsp of liquid, depending on humidity). Test the dough with your fingers after adding each tablespoon - the dough should be a bit crumbly, but holds together when pressed together. Place onto counter and knead everything into a soft pliable ball.

Shape into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 30-60 minutes. Remove from fridge and let rest at room temperature for 15-30 minutes (this cooling and resting are allowing all the liquids in the dough to evenly absorb into the flours, which will produce a flakier crust).

Place dough on a floured piece of parchment paper (or silicone baking mat), sprinkle some flour on top of your dough. If you find the dough hard to handle you can place another piece of parchment paper on top. Once you have rolled it to the desired thickness, peel off the top layer of parchment paper. If the surface is sticky, rub some flour over the surface until its smooth. Invert the crust into a greased pie plate, then peel off the last layer of parchment paper. Again, dust the surface with flour if its sticky. Press into the plate, trim edges (or leave to create a ‘rustic’ crust that you just fold over), and pinch to create a fluted edge.

Place pie crust (in pie plate) in freezer for 30 minutes.

Remove from freezer. If desired, brush an egg wash (1 egg + 1 Tbsp water) or milk/milk alternative onto crust edges to get a golden brown finish.

To bake an empty pie shell: bake at 375°F for 20-30 minutes, until just starts to turn golden.