Plain Pie Pastry
Credit: The Essential James Beard Cookbook by James Beard
~Makes enough pastry for one 9-inch double crust pie, or two 9-inch pies.
Ingredients:
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
6 tablespoons cold shortening, cut into ½-inch cubes
⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon ice water
Directions:
~Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and shortening and cut it into the flour with 2 knives, or a pastry blender just until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal; the texture will not be uniform cut will contain crumbs and bits and pieces. Sprinkle water over the flour mixture, a tablespoon at a time, and mix lightly with a fork, using only enough water so the pastry holds together when pressed lightly into a ball. Divide the dough into 2 balls. Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes or more.
**If you have a food processor, go for it! Just be sure not to over-process the mixture or the dough will be tough.
Note: The dough can be refrigerated overnight, or frozen for up to 1 month. Defrost the frozen dough overnight in the refrigerator before using.
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