Pastry No Fail Food

NO-FAIL PIE CRUST

Steps:

• In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar and salt with a fork.
• Cut in the shortening with a fork until crumbly.
• In a small bowl, beat together the water, vinegar and egg; add to the flour mixture.
• Stir until all ingredients are moistened.
• Divide dough into 5 portions and, with hands, shape each into a flat round patty ready for rolling.
• Wrap each patty in plastic or waxed paper and chill at least 1/2 hour.
• When you are ready to use the pie crust, lightly flour both sides of the patty and roll out on a lightly floured board or pastry cloth.
• Keeping the pastry round, roll, from the center, to a 1/8-inch thickness into a circle 2 inches larger than the top of the pie pan.
• Fold in halves or quarters, transfer to the pie pan, unfold and fit in loosely.
• Press with fingers to remove air pockets.
• Fill the crust.
• Place the other crust on top; flute edges with a fork and place decorative slits in top of crust to allow steam to escape.
• Bake as directed in the pie recipe you are following.
• Bake pie on the LOWEST rack in oven to prevent bottom crust becoming soggy.
• FOR A PRE-BAKED UNFILLED PIE SHELL:.
• Prick the bottom and sides of a pastry lined pie pan with a fork.
• Bake on the CENTER rack in a preheated 450 degree Fahrenheit oven 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown (a metal pan will take longer than glass).
• Cool on a wire rack (the shell will shrink and edges pull away from pan).
• Fill as desired.

MOST INCREDIBLE NO FAIL PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Cut together flour, shortening and salt until it resembles small peas.
• Combine the egg, water and vinegar and gradually add to flour mixture.
• Stir just until moistened and a soft dough forms.
• Divide into 2 disks.
• Wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Roll out and use with your favorite pie recipe!

NO FAIL PIE CRUST I

Steps:

• Combine flour and salt in a large bowl. Cut in shortening until it resembles coarse crumbs.
• Mix egg, water, and vinegar together in a separate bowl. Pour into flour all at once and blend with a fork until dough forms into a ball. Divide into 3 equal-sized rounds.
• Wrap with plastic and chill in a refrigerator until ready to prepare.

NO FAIL PASTRY

Steps:

• 1. Put 6 cups of flour into a bowl with salt. Cut in with pastry cutter or 2 knives the 2 cups shortening till you have small balls the size of large peas.
• 2. Separate the egg and put the whites aside. Egg yolk in a measuring cup. Add the vinegar and top it off with water to make one cup. Mix well.
• 3. Forming a large ball and separating it into 6 portions. This will make 6 bottom crust pies or 3 top and bottom crust pies.
• 4. Take one ball on a floured surface and press down. Take a lightly floured rolling pin and starting from the center roll out in ever direction.
• 5. Note: do not roll over entire surface cause you will have thin and thick areas. Often you will get some cracks in the outside edges. before they get big push them in with your hand to make your dough circular, then continue rolling.
• 6. When you have reached the desired thickness, pull the pastry up over the rolling pin and roll it on the rolling pin. This helps immensely when putting into the pie dish. Cut all the excess off with a pizza cutter or knife. Set these pieces aside by themselves.
• 7. There are different ways of making your pie edges look pretty. One is with a fork(very easy),the curly edge is done with your thumb on one hand and your thumb and forefinger on the other. Use your imagination.
• 8. Add your filling what ever it may be. Roll out the top crust for full pie or you can cut strips even from the scraps to make a criss cross pattern in any shape you like.
• 9. When you are done making all 6 pie shells you can gather of the scraps and roll them out for criss cross as above or you might even have enough for some tarts or another bottom crust..
• 10. Baking the pie shell for a pudding type pie only requires approx 15 mins(poke holes in bottom crust with a fork) or until golden brown. A filled pie will take a little longer 20-25 mins or until golden brown. Bake at 350-375 degrees.I hope these instructions help you as you make your pies! ~Enjoy!

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.

FOOLPROOF SHORTCRUST PASTRY (FOOD PROCESSOR METHOD)

Steps:

• Cut the butter into small cubes and arrange on a small plate. Freeze for 20 minutes.
• Add the flour and salt to a food processor, then pulse to combine. Add the butter and process for 10 continuous seconds, until the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs.
• Add the egg and process for 5 seconds. Add the ice water and process for 20 seconds. The dough should now start clumping together. Turn the mixture out onto a work surface. The mixture will easily hold together when pressed. Using your hands, gather the dough into a ball then flatten into a disk, kneading it as lightly as possible.
• If you're making shortcrust pastry right before you need to use it, gather it into a disk, set it on a lightly floured surface, and roll it out to the required size. Ease into a pie or tart pan, lay flat on a baking sheet, or cut out and fit into muffin pans if making tartlets. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour. Use as instructed by the recipe.
• You can alternatively wrap the ball of shortcrust pastry in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 3 days, or freeze for 1 month.
• Bring refrigerated shortcrust pastry back to room temperature at least 30 minutes before rolling. Thaw frozen shortcrust pastry overnight in the refrigerator, then bring back to room temperature at least 30 minutes before rolling.

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt and brown sugar. Cut in shortening with a pastry cutter. Mix well.
• In a small bowl, beat together vinegar, egg and cold water.
• Add dry flour mixture to wet mixture and mix together until it forms small balls.
• Mix well until you can form it into a large ball. * Don't be afraid to really get in there with your hands! If it feels gooey, add a little more flour. Add only 1 tbsp of flour at a time until it no longer feels gooey or wet. You don't want it too dry, as it won't roll out properly (and you will have additional flour on the board - be very careful not to use too much flour!)
• Roll dough out onto a lightly floured surface to about a 1/4 of an inch thick. If you are are making pie, then lay your pie plate upside down on the dough. Do the same with tarts, using the aluminum tart plates.
• Cut out a circle around it, leaving yourself additional space -at least an inch or two. * You will trim the pie shell later (once it's in the pie plate).
• Spray your pie plate with non- stick cooking spray, flip over the pie plate, then gently pick up the crust and place it in the pie plate. *Some people like to use a rolling pin to transfer it to the pie plate (as in the video in post), but I do not use that method. * See Top Tip on rips/tears
• Trim the pie once the filling is in and you have put the 2nd pie crust on top, if you are doing a double crust pie. I trim a little, then use a fork to press the ends down (see Video on how to crimp a pie crust with a fork in post), then trim a little more if I need to. * I prefer to use kitchen shears to trim at this stage, as it gives you more control. Add some venting slits by cutting small triangles into the pie with a small paring knife.
• Bake as per instructions for the pie recipe you are making (they usually require 30-40 minutes, the first 10 minutes at 400 degrees F and the remainder of the time at 350 degrees F) until golden brown. If you are baking tarts, it's about half the time.