Back in August 2021 I published my apple pie recipe, handed down to me by my mother. I was asked at that time if I could post the recipe for the crust and while I agreed to do so, I never got around to it. A recent request has reminded me of my promise, so here it is.

This recipe can be used for sweet or savoury dishes. I used the crust on my apple pie and today I am making a beetroot and feta tart.  If you want a double crust pie, simply double the recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 ¼ cups plain flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup of cold butter (or coconut oil for a vegan version)
• 4 to 5 tablespoons of cold water

Instructions

• In a medium bowl stir together the flour and salt.
• Cut the butter into small pieces and add them to the flour.

• Using your fingers, or a pastry blender, mix the butter into the flour until it has a crumbly texture.

• Sprinkle 4 tablespoons of the water over the surface of the mixture and use a fork mix it in. If it is still too dry, add the remaining tablespoons of water. It needs to be moist enough to form a ball but not so wet as to be sticky.
• Form the dough into a ball and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Don’t over work it as that will make your pastry tough.

• Flatten the dough out with your hands and then, using a rolling pin, roll the dough out into a circle that is the right size for you pie dish. If your rolling pin is sticking to the dough, dust it with a little flour.

• Move the rolled-out dough to the pie dish by rolling it onto the rolling pin and then unrolling it into the pie dish.

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• Now you are ready to fill it and bake it.

So, what did I fill my pastry with? Roast beetroot and feta. It was delicious.

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Live well.