Watch Chef Cat Cora making basic pie dough by hand and by using food processor (video is from youtube courtesy of cooking.com) .  I make mine similarly by hand using a recipe from Carole Walter’s book, Great Pies and Tarts:

TIPS :

1. Scrape the blender clean every so often

2. Break-up larger particles of fat by pressing the blender straight down on them

3.  Add water sparingly

4.  The dough will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and up to 6 months in the freezer.  Thaw overnight in the fridge or at least 12 hours prior to using.

Pie pastry and tart pastry are  basically the same in that both are made from the same ingredients, but  they differ in the way fat is cut in the flour. Pie pastry has larger-pea-sized particles of fat while a tart pastry is worked into smaller meal-like bits which makes for a more compact layer which is strong enough to support heavier  and wet fillings.

These tips are not from me, they are all from this book by Carole Walter, I just thought it would be helpful to those who want to learn how to make pies and tarts :)

Thanks for reading..Have a nice day!

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