Always Perfect Pie Crust Or Pastry Recipes

Steps:

• Dice the butter and return it to the refrigerator while you prepare the flour mixture. Place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse a few times to mix. Add the butter and shortening. Pulse 8 to 12 times, until the butter is the size of peas. With the machine running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse the machine until the dough begins to form a ball. Dump out on a floured board and roll into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Cut the dough in half. Roll each piece on a well-floured board into a circle, rolling from the center to the edge, turning and flouring the dough to make sure it doesn't stick to the board. Fold the dough in half, place in a pie pan, and unfold to fit the pan. Repeat with the top crust.

Steps:

• In a very large bowl combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Cut in butter leaving pea sized chunks.
• In a 2 cup glass measure whisk water, sour cream, and vinegar; pour, all at once into flour mixture, and quickly distribute. Stop!
• Make sure dough is slightly crumbly. Divide dough mixture into 3 equal portions (about 12 to 13 ounces each) Refrigerate for 2 hours and best overnight (finish by hand). DO NOT OVER MIX- the finished dough should break, not stretch.
• Gently knead in bag to bring dough together. Form into discs.
• Use at once or wrap and store in refrigerator for several days or in freezer for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in refrigerator if frozen.

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine flour, shortening and butter, if using, and salt.
• With a pastry blender or two forks or your hands, cut and toss the ingredients until the fat is evenly distributed.
• (Break the fat into pea-size pieces.) In a small bowl or a measuring cup, combine the egg, vinegar and cold water.
• Beat to combine, then add to dry ingredients.
• Mix quickly with a fork with a tossing motion until all the dry ingredients are moistened.
• You can roll this out right away or cover with a damp towel and let it rest in the refrigerator for 20 to 30 minutes.
• It behaves better when cool.
• When ready to roll out, divide the dough into equal parts, depending on the size of the pie pans.
• Roll out on a floured surface with a floured rolling pin.

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, stir together flour and salt. Cut in shortening using a pastry blender or fork until shortening is in pea-sized pieces (I usually use my hand crank chopper to do this).
• Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing with fork in between, until all of the flour mixture is moistened and can be formed into a ball. Divide mixture in half.
• At this point, you can roll dough into a 12 inch circle on a lightly floured surface, but I prefer to tape a 12 inch square piece of waxed paper to my work surface with double sided tape, put my dough on that, then cover with another piece of waxed paper, and roll out.
• When dough is in a circle as big as your waxed paper (ie 12 inch circle), peel off the top layer of waxed paper and discard.
• Lift the dough and bottom layer of waxed paper up and invert onto your pie pan. Gently peel the waxed paper off.
• Do the same with the other 1/2 of your dough to make your top crust.
• Before placing pie in the oven, wrap a 3 inch wide strip of foil around the edge of your crust, allowing 2 inches to fold over the top of your pie. 1/2 way through your bake time, carefully pull the foil off and finish baking. Your crust will turn out perfect every time!

Steps:

• Be sure to sift flour before measuring.
• Put sifted flour in large bowl. Add salt and stir together.
• Add shortening in chunks with a butter knife.
• Cut together until lumpy.
• Add water a little at a time and shape into a ball.
• Cut ball in half and roll out crust one at a time on a floured surface until it's about 1/8 inch thick.
• Roll part way onto your rolling pin and transfer to your pie pan.
• Prick holes in the bottom and sides with a fork.
• Add whatever pie ingredients you are using.
• Put top crust on and press edges together.
• Cut slits in top crust with a knife for venting.
• Bake according to your pie's requirements.
• If using a pudding recipe, bake pie shell at 425 degrees for 10-15 minutes.
• Watch it so it doesn't get too brown.