PLAIN PASTRY (PATE BRISEE)

Plain Pastry (Pate Brisee) image

Provided by Robert Farrar Capon

Categories dessert

Time 15m

Yield Makes one 2-crust 9-inch pie or two 9-inch pie shells

Number Of Ingredients 5

2 cups sifted pastry or cake flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
3 tablespoons vegetable shortening or lard
5 tablespoons ice water

Steps:

Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Add the butter and shortening and cut them into the flour with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
Add the ice water quickly while tossing the flour-shortening mixture to distribute the moisture. Continue tossing until it begins to gather itself together. Form into a ball, divide in two and flatten each half into a thick round. Wrap in wax paper and chill thoroughly before rolling out.