Basic Single Crust Pie Pastry

Reader's Digest CanadaReader's Digest Canada

Number of servings : Prep time: Cooking time: 10-15 minutes Type of meal : | Pies/Tarts | Pies/Tarts Special diet

Number of servings :

Prep time:

Cooking time: 10-15 minutes

Type of meal : | Pies/Tarts | Pies/Tarts

Special diet :

Ingredients

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
¼ tsp salt
6 tbsp cold butter, cut-up
3 tbsp vegetable shortening
3-4 tbsp ice water

Directions

  1. In a large bowl, sift together the flour and salt. Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in the butter and shortening until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs.
  2. Add the ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring the mixture with a fork to incorporate the water into the dough. Add water only until the dough begins to hold together. Handling the dough as little as possible, divide it in half, shape each half into a ball, and wrap each ball in plastic wrap. Chill the dough balls for at least 1 hour before using.
  3. Place the dough on the lightly floured board or pastry cloth. Flatten the ball slightly; then using a lightly clovred or covered rolling pin, roll from the center of the ball outward in all directions. Make the dough cicle large enough to cover the bottom and sides of a pie plate plus about 1 cm (1 inch) more. Drape carefully cover a pie plate and cold over the outer edge and crimp it with your fingers to make a decorative edge. Fill and bake according to the pie recipe.
  4. For a prebaked pie shell, preheat the oven to 375˚F. place the pie shell on a baking sheet and prick the bottom. Line the bottom with two layers of foil and add dried beans or pastry beads to weigh it down; otherwise the bottom ith puff up during cooking. Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Nutritional information:

Imported on 2011-01-20 20:26:46 — Original ID:1151