Rich Egg Pastry

Yield: Two generous 8" or 9" crusts or one 10" crust

Use the method in this recipe as your guide when making doughs in the food processor. This crust is crisp and buttery. The egg makes it a good candidate for quiches and tarts.

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup (1 stick) very cold butter
½ cup (1 stick) very cold margarine
2 teaspoons lemon juice or white vinegar
1 egg
cold water

Put flour and salt in the bowl of the food processor. Whirl it for a second or two to mix. With the motor off, cut in butter and margarine - about 6 slices per stick. Process with pulses until the fat is in ¼" pieces.
Put the lemon juice and egg in a measuring cup and add enough water to fill it to the half-cup mark. Start the processor and pour in the liquid through the tube. Watch as you pour and stop the minute the dough begins to gather together, about 20 to 30 seconds. The dough doesn't have to form a ball; it should be soft and silken. Turn it out on waxed paper, form it into two balls, wrap in plastic and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

To Mix By Hand

1) Measure the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl.

2) Cut the fat into the flour in marble-size pieces or ½" slices.

3) With the pastry blender, 2 knives used scissors fashion, a fork, or your fingertips, rub or cut the fat until the pieces are the size specified by the recipe. Larger pieces (pea size) make a flaky, crisp pastry that shatters when you bite into it. Smaller ones (the size of bread crumbs or coarse meal) make tender pastry that crumbles when you bite.

4) When you add the ice water, add only two-thirds of what the recipe calls for. Sprinkle it evenly over the flour-fat mixture, mix quickly with a fork and try to gather the dough into a ball. If it crumbles and won't hold together, add more water, a teaspoon at a time.

5) As soon as the mixture holds together, shape it into one-crust-size balls, flatten them with the palm of your hand and wrap in plastic.

6) Chill for 30 minutes. This allows the flour to completely absorb the moisture so the dough won't shrink in the oven. It also firms up the fat so the dough is easier to handle. Dough can remain up to 3 days in the fridge, or freeze it for up to 3 months.