Buttery Pastry Dough

Years ago I lost the recipe for the meat pie dough that was an important part of my favorite party food.  Don't you hate when you lose one of your favorite recipes?  In all these years, I have not found a good pastry dough recipe . . . so, here is another one I will try out.Like my original pastry dough, it is a versatile dough that can be used for many different recipes from turnovers to pie crust.  I got the recipe from Fine Cooking, where they claim that the crust is very tender like a shortbread cookie when baked.  We'll see!I will update this post when I try it out . . .

Yields enough dough for 1 single pie crust, 8 mini tarts, or 12 turnovers.


9 oz. (2 cups) bleached all purpose flour 

7 oz. (14 Tbs.) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces 
1 large egg, lightly beaten 
2 Tbs. granulated sugar 
1 Tbs. chilled heavy cream 
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice 
1 tsp. table salt 

---

In a food processor, combine the flour, butter, egg, sugar, cream, lemon juice, and salt and pulse until the dough starts gathering together in big clumps, as shown below. Turn the dough out onto a counter and gather it together. Shape the dough as directed in the recipe you’re making.

leftovers

Turn leftover pastry dough into shortbread cookie bars.

photo: Scott Phillips

From Fine Cooking 79, pp. 68

June 1, 2006