BARRY MAIDEN'S BUTTER/SHORTENING PIECRUST

Barry Maiden's Butter/Shortening Piecrust image

Provided by Nancie McDermott

Yield Makes two 9-inch single piecrusts

Number Of Ingredients 6

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons (2/3 cup) very cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons very cold vegetable shortening
3 tablespoons ice water

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.