Basic Flaky Pastry Dough for Pies & Tarts - single & double crust

For a One-Crust Pie:

1½         cups unbleached, all-purpose flour

¼           teaspoon kosher salt

8            tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces, well chilled

2            tablespoons vegetable shortening (preferably non-hydrogenated), cut into

½-inch pieces, well chilled 2 to 4  tablespoons ice water

For a Double-Crust Pie (or two single crusts):

3            cups unbleached, all-purpose flour

½           teaspoon kosher salt

16          tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces, well chilled

4            tablespoons vegetable shortening (preferably non-hydrogenated), cut into ½-inch pieces, well chilled 5 to 8  tablespoons ice water

Nutritional analysis per serving (based on 8 servings for one-crust pie):  Calories 203 (63% from fat) • carb. 17g • pro. 2g • fat 14g sat. fat 9g • chol. 30mg • sod. 67mg • calc. 0mg • fiber 0g

Put flour and salt into the Cuisinart®  mixing bowl. Attach the flat mixing paddle and mix to blend dry ingredients on Speed 2 for 30 seconds. Distribute butter and shortening bits evenly over flour mixture. Start mixing on Speed 4, gradually increasing to Speed 8 until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some visible pieces of butter and shortening about the size of small peas. Scrape the entire bowl well.

Sprinkle with the minimal amount of ice water and mix on Speed 1. Add just enough ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, so that the dough just begins to come together and when pressed will hold together. Do not over-mix.

Gather the dough into a ball (2 balls for larger recipe), and flatten into a 6-inch disk (2 disks for larger recipe). Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour before continuing to allow the gluten in the flour to rest. The dough will keep refrigerated for up to 3 days, or may be frozen (double wrapped) for up to a month – thaw at room temperature for an hour before using. Roll as directed by recipe to use.

To bake the pastry blind for a single-crust filled pie or tart:

Roll out pastry 1/8  inch thick to fit pan, crimp and seal edges. Prick bottom all over with a fork. Chill for at least 30 minutes.  Preheat the oven to 400°F.  Line pastry with a sheet of parchment paper and fill with pie weights, dry rice or beans to the top of the crust.  Bake for 20 minutes, until set. Carefully remove parchment paper foil and weights, bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool completely in pan on a wire rack.