Pastry-No Fail

By tunes

Ingredients

• 3 cups (750 mL) all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp (7 mL) salt
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) cold unsalted butter, cut in 8 pieces
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) cold vegetable shortening, cut in 8 pieces
• 1/3 cup (75 mL) cold water
• 2 tbsp (25 mL) white vinegar

Preparation

Step 1

In a bowl, combine flour and salt. With a pastry blender or fingers, cut in butter and vegetable shortening until mixture resembles bread crumbs.
Combine water and vinegar and sprinkle over flour mixture a little at a time tossing together with a fork until the pastry is moist enough to hold its shape when a little piece is pressed between the fingers.
Gather pastry into a ball - it should not feel sticky.
Flour the counter or pastry board lightly. With a floured rolling pin, roll the pastry out into a rectangle approximately 8 x 12-inches (20 x 30-cm). Fold the pastry into thirds like a letter. Turn the dough so the open edges face you and roll out into a rectangle again. Repeat this procedure again. Cover dough with plastic wrap and chill one hour.
For smaller pies, use half the dough, larger ones need two thirds or all of it. Freeze any remaining dough for another occasion. Dough should be rolled out 1/4-inch (5-mm) thick.