Butter And Shortening Pastry Recipes

BUTTER AND SHORTENING PASTRY

Steps:

• Mix flour, salt and sugar in a food processor fitted with steel blade.
• Scatter butter pieces over flour mixture. Toss to coat butter with a little of the flour.
• Cut butter into the flour mixture with 5 one second pulses.
• Add shortening, a tablespoon at a time and cut into mixture with about 4 one second pulses.
• The mixture should resemble coarse cornmeal, with butter bits no bigger than peas. Turn out into a mixing bowl.
• Sprinkle 6 T of ice water over flour mixture.
• Using the blade of a rubber spatula, press down on the dough, using a folding motion, until the dough sticks together.
• Add up to 2 more T of ice water if the dough will not come together. DO NOT over-knead the dough.
• Divide dough into 2 balls and flatten each into a 4 inch wide disk.
• Dust disks lightly with flour. Wrap each in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 days before rolling out.

PERFECT PIE CRUST

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.

BUTTER-AND-SHORTENING PASTRY DOUGH

Steps:

• In a food processor, pulse together the flour and salt. Add the shortening and butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. With the motor running, pour the water through the feed tube and process until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl, adding no more water than necessary. Divide the dough into 2 balls, flatten them into thick disks and place them between waxed-paper sheets. Refrigerate for at least one hour before rolling out.

PART-BUTTER/PART-SHORTENING EASY PIE DOUGH

Steps:

• In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, pulse together the flour, sugar, salt, butter and shortening until the mixture resembles cornmeal but there are still pea-sized chunks of fat.
• In a small bowl, stir together the ice water and lemon juice. Slowly add the liquid to the flour mixture, pulsing, until the dough just comes together. Squeeze a small piece of dough between your thumb and index finger to make sure it holds its shape.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it in half. Gently turn over each piece of dough a few times so that any dry bits are incorporated. Form each piece into a loose disk, cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes.

BARRY MAIDEN'S BUTTER/SHORTENING PIECRUST

Steps:

• Put the flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl and put them in the freezer for 10 minutes.
• Put the flour, sugar, salt, butter, and shortening in the workbowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse to cut the fat into small pieces, some the size of peas and some smaller.
• With the machine running, slowly pour the water through the feed tube. The dough should begin to come together into a ball; when it does, turn off the machine immediately. Do not let it form a complete ball.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and gently shape it into two disks about 1 1/2 inches thick. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• Take the dough out for the refrigerator and let it sit for 10 minutes. On a floured surface, roll out 1 of the dough disks into a circle 1/4-inch thick and 10 inches wide. Carefully transfer it into a 9-inch pie plate. Press the dough gently into the pan and trim away any excess dough, leaving about 1/2 inch beyond the edge of the pie pan. Fold the edges up and over, and then crimp the edges decoratively. Or press the back of a fork into the pastry rim, working around the pie to make a flat edge marked with the tines of the fork. If not filling the crust soon, refrigerate it until needed.
• To make the crust in advance, wrap it well in plastic and refrigerate it for up to 3 days or freeze it for up to 2 months.

PASTY PASTRY FOR CORNISH MINERS' PASTIES

Steps:

• Mix dry ingredients in mixing bowl.
• Cut in shortening with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
• Add ice water a little at a time, tossing with a fork to make a pastry-like dough.
• Add a bit more water if it seems dry and won't hold together when squeezed lightly.
• Gather into a ball, press firmly now, then wrap with plastic wrap and chill while preparing the pasty ingredients (see Recipe # ).
• Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface (or on top of a piece of plastic wrap which can easily be folded over and then peeled off once the pasty ingredients are loaded).
• Edges of pasty should be brushed with a smidgen of water and then crimped VERY firmly with a fork (and I fold them and crimp again -- so none of the liquid seeps out).
• Brush tops of finished pasties with milk to enhance the crust (it will bake to a beautiful golden brown).
• NOTE: Like pastry dough, pasty dough should be handled as LITTLE as possible to ensure flakiness. So, *handle with care* !