Basic Flaky Pastry (Pâte Brisée)
This is my version of basic pastry. Instead of using a pastry cutter, use a box grater to grate in the fat, then use your palms to rub some of the fat into the flour in a technique similar to ‘frisage’ in pastry making. These two techniques create a wonderfully flaky crust. I use a combination of shortening (for flakiness) and butter (for flavour). Depending on what I have on hand, I sometimes change the recipe to include equal amounts shortening and butter.
Makes 1 double crust pie, or 2 single crust pies