Food Processor Pie Or Tart Pastry

PERFECT PROCESSOR PIE PASTRY

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.

FOOD PROCESSOR PIE OR TART PASTRY

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.

TART PASTRY

Steps:

• Blend together flour, sugar, salt, butter and shortening with your fingers or a pastry blender (or pulse on a processor) just until the mixture resembles coarse meal, the mixture should be pea-size.
• Drizzle the ice water starting with 3 tablespoons over the flour mixture; gently stir with a fork (or pulse with a processor) until incorporated.
• Squeeze a small amount in your hands, if it does not hold together add in more ice water 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring or pulsing with a processor until JUST combined.
• Test again, but be careful not to overwork the mixture, as the pastry will be tough.
• Transfer the mixture onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 6 portions.
• Using the heel of your hand, smear each portion once or twice in a forward motion.
• Gather dough together with a scraper and press into 1 ball.
• Flatten into a 6-inch disc.
• Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for about 1 hour.
• Roll out dough with a floured rolling pin into a 13-inch round on a lightly floured surface.
• Fit into the 11-inch tart pan.
• trim any excess dough leaving a 1/2-inch overhang.
• Fold the overhang inward and press against the side of the pan to reinforce edge.
• Lightly prick the bottom and sides of the pastry with a fork.
• Chill for 30 minutes.
• Set oven to 375 degrees.
• Line the shell with foil and fill with pie weights or raw rice.
• Bake in the center of the oven until the pastry is golden along the rim (about 20 minutes).
• Remove the shell from the oven, and carefully remove the foil and pie weights, return back to oven and bake for another 10 minutes or until golden all over.

SAVORY PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Place the flour, salt, and pepper in the bowl of a food processor, and pulse to combine. Add the butter and process until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. While the machine is running, gradually drizzle in the water, processing until the dough comes together to form a ball.
• Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and shape it into a flat disk. Wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.

FOOD-PROCESSOR APPLE TART

Steps:

• Put flour, salt and 2 tablespoons of the sugar in food processor and pulse once or twice. Add 10 tablespoons of the butter, leaving the remaining tablespoon of butter at room temperature to soften. Process until the mixture is uniform, about 10 seconds (do not over-process). Add egg yolk and process for another few seconds. Add 3 tablespoons ice water and pulse just until you can form the dough into a ball, adding another tablespoon or two of ice water if necessary (if you overdo it and the mixture becomes sodden, add a little more flour). Form into a ball, wrap in plastic and freeze for 10 minutes or refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. You can refrigerate it for up to a couple of days or freeze, tightly wrapped, for up to a couple of weeks.
• Put dough on floured surface and roll into a circle with a diameter about 2 inches greater than that of an 8- to 10-inch tart pan. Transfer dough to pan, pressing it into the corners and sides and using a knife to cut the edges flush with the rim of the pan. Freeze for 30 minutes or refrigerate for about an hour.
• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Prick surface of dough several times with a fork. Butter one side of a piece of foil large enough to cover crust; press foil onto crust, buttered side down. Weight foil with a pile of dried beans or rice or pie weights. Bake for 12 minutes; remove from oven and remove weights and foil. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking the crust until golden brown, another 10 minutes or so. Remove crust from oven and turn oven to 375 degrees.
• Peel and core apples, then slice with slicing blade of a food processor. Toss with lemon juice to prevent browning. When crust has cooled slightly, arrange apple slices in concentric circles in tart shell, with circles overlapping. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and the cinnamon, then dot with remaining tablespoon butter.
• Put tart pan on baking sheet and bake until apples are quite soft (a thin-bladed knife will pierce them easily) but still hold their shape, about 40 minutes. Cool on rack for about 20 minutes. Serve at room temperature.

BASIC FOOD PROCESSOR PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Insert metal blade into your food processor.
• Add flour, butter and salt and process until mixture is like coarse meal; it takes about 8 to 10 seconds.
• Add ice water and pulse, not process, until dough begins to clump together; don't let it form a ball.
• Remove dough from processor and place in a freezer-size plastic storage zippie bag.
• Work through the bag to press dough together into a ball; then press into a flat disc.
• Refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour.
• When you need it, roll dough out onto a lightly floured surface.
• Makes enough dough for a single 9 or 10-inch pie shell.
• Note that this is the recipe provided by Cuisinart; I am not quite as fussy and it always works for me; the key is the ice-cold butter, the ice-cold water, and not letting it process too long.

NEVER, NEVER FAIL PIE PASTRY

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in lard until mixture resembles coarse meal.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together water, egg yolk, vanilla extract, and vinegar. Stir into flour mixture and knead dough briefly, just until smooth. Allow to rest 15 minutes before rolling out. Pastry is easier to work with when chilled. Can be stored in refrigerator for up to 1 week.

FLAKY FOOD PROCESSOR PIE 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.