Pastry Dough (Madam Benoit's No Fail Lemon Tang Pastry)

Gerry's Note:

(September 2010 update below) This recipe was passed to me as an easy to work with no fail pastry that has made doing pastry easy and fun. Originally from a segment on Madam Benoit's cooking show - a recipe that wowed and was quickly passed around. She is right - it is a wonderful no fail pastry that makes for great tasting pies, as well as being freezer friendly. Recipe POSTED April 2004 - UPDATE Sept. 26, 2010 - am very familiar with the no fail recipe using vinegar and egg which was one often made by my mom - and one of Madame Benoits. It is also found on the back of the Tenderflake box. Another of her pastry recipes is her LEMON TANG PASTRY- and yes it does call for three tablespoons of Lemon juice. I am a Madame Benoit fan and this Lemon Tang Pastry is not mine - it is hers - and in my books an absolute winner ( Madame Benoit was a great cooking show host from way back - a Canadian cooking Institution by herself. She attended the Cordon Bleu in Paris and went on to become the famous Madame Benoit) It's a big recipe and if you are only making one pie, taking a few extra minutes to roll out shells for the freezer makes for having those pastry shells on hand for those unexpected moments when needing a special dessert. Works for me! Easily halved as well as very freezer friendly.

• Total Time: 10 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 0 mins

Ingredients:

Yield: 3 pies

• 5 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 lb lard, brand of your choice

In a one-cup measuring cup

• 1 whole egg
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice, and add enough water to make for one cup of liquid (I use Realemon)

Directions:

1. A LARGE MIXING BOWL: 5 cups flour 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon soda Use a whisk to mix.
2. Cut in one pound of lard.
3. Mix to resemble coarse crumbs.
4. IN A ONE CUP MEASURING CUP: Add 1 whole egg 3 tablespoons lemon juice Mix with a fork and add enough water to fill the one cup measuring cup.
5. Add the cup of liquid to the dry ingredients and mix until dough forms into a ball.
6. (at this point I form into balls using approximate amount for the size pie plate I'm using and place into a plastic bag until ready to roll.) NOTE: Rolling the dough between two sheets of wax paper makes for a nice even sheet of pastry.
7. This will make 3-4 double pies-- depending on what size pie pans you are using.

Reviews

[CocinaCubana]

Best dough I have ever worked with and good tasting too!

[Cheffles]

This was really easy but i only used three cups of s.r flour and half a tablespoon of sugar, and i used 1lb and a half of butter, and i put in pie pots and made lemon curd tarts-really easy lemon curd search.I placed thin slices f banna and crumbleb over graham cracker?digestive biscuit crumbs. Ate it all in one day yum!!

[andypandy]

This is a very nice easy to work with pastry, I also added some lemon zest to the flour, salt, soda mixture, since I knew I was making all apple pies. Nice recipe.