Perfect Processor Pie Pastry Recipes

Steps:

• With chopping blade, put all ingredients except water in bowl of food processor.
• (Margarine should be cut into small cubes, and put in separately.)
• Process until mixture is consistency of coarse meal(5-10 seconds).
• With machine running, pour water steadily and slowly through feed tube. You may not need all the ice water.
• A ball of dough will form above blade (30-50 seconds).
• Remove from food processor.
• Use immediately or chill for later use.
• Makes two 8-inch pie crusts.

Steps:

• Place flour and salt in food processor. Pulse 2-3 seconds.
• Add butter and shortening to flour.
• Pulse until fat is reduced to tiny pieces.
• With motor running, drizzle ice water through feed tube.
• Process continuously until particles are moistened but NOT yet formed into a ball.
• Remove dough from bowl and shape into a ball.
• Divide in 2 flat disks.
• Cover each with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator at least 30 minutes before rolling.
• Makes 1 (9") double crust or 2 (9") single crust pies.
• Tips:.
• It is essential the butter, shortening and water be ice cold.
• Use minimal amount of water and take care not to overprocess after adding it.
• Best if you form the ball, not the machine.
• Add sugar to the flour if you are making a sweet pie.
• Can be made by hand using a pastry cutter.

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:

• Measure the flour into the processor with the regular blade attached. Add the unsalted butter, cut into cubes, and shortening, cut into cubes. (Your fat should be frozen or very cold. You may vary the proportions, or use some lard, but the total should be 9 tablespoons.) Add salt. Pulse three times with three counts per pulse to lightly mix the ingredients.
• With the motor running, pour ice water into the workbowl just until the dough just starts to get noticeably crumbly. Don't wait until it is a big clump or it will be way too wet and will turn out tough.
• Stop the machine, dump the crumbly dough into a bowl, and gather the dough into a ball with your hand. you can squeeze it a bit to make it stick together. If it just won't form a ball, add a tiny bit more water. (Note that if you are making crust in the food processor, you will use less water than most recipes call for.)
• Wrap your dough ball in wax paper or plastic wrap and chill it about 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Roll it out on a cool surface if you can. Then follow your pie recipe for baking.

Steps:

• Place the bowl and butter into the fridge to make it cold. This is REALLY important
• Throw flour, butter and salt into the food processor and blitz for 15-20 seconds until it is a soft fine breadcrumb texture. You dont NEED a food processor and can use your fingertips like your gran used to, but make sure you hands are ice cold first.
• Pour mixture into the cold bowl, make a well in the centre and add around 3/4 (75ml) of the water. With fingers like a claw, turn the pastry mix in the bowl. Get in and twist, mopping up all the dry ingredients. Add the rest of the flour and continue twisting together until the mixture is a lump.
• lightly flower the board and place pastry on top. Push it together and gently kneed it. until it has a soft texture when pinched.
• Cover with clingfilm, place back into the bowl you used earlier and place in the fridge. Ready to take and use whenever you need it (preferably for a stake and ale pie that afternoon).