I am not very confident making pastry and would appreciate some tips.

[IAmReallyFabNow]

I want to make mince pies. I have made the mincemeat and now need to make some pastry.

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but you would really have to practice your 'straight face' for a long time beforehand

I always used to make rubbish pastry, but I have had a recent run of making the most unbelievable good pastry - shortcrust and flaky.

The secret for me has been to use the food processor. I don't bother with all the methods and tips you read in the books. Simply weigh out the ingredients (butter straight from fridge) and then I put the butter in the processor and switch it on, and then gradually add the flour as the machine runs. Then use cold water from the tap (it is freezing anyway at the moment!) until the dough starts to come together.

Wrap the dough in cling film and refrigerate for 30 mins before rolling it out - this seems to prevent the shrinkage problem you experience Slubber (which I also used to get, even with shop bought pastry).

I really can't believe how good my pastry is now - I suppose the trouble before was because my hands were too warm and I overhandled the dough, but the processor puts paid to that ime.

Nah - nonsense re getting a marble top. My tops are oak and I always have radiator, oven etc going full blast.

DG

Stop with your sensible food processor tips and just agree that I probably should get some new work tops.

cat has been most emphatic on this point.

second or third or whatever its got to the food processor.

Never thought I'd say this but the Hairy Bikers of all people transformed my pastry making a few years ago when they showed food processor pastry on their show. ( I like a visual demo ).

I find the Nigella pastry for mince pies especially good, its 00 flour, Trex and butter, orange juice, salt and iced water.

OP - this is a recipe for foolproof pastry that rolls out beautifully and tastes amazing, courtesy of America's Test Kitchen, which works out the best recipe to make everything from pastry to chicken tikka masala.

Blitz 1 and a half cups of plain flour, two tablespoons of sugar and one teaspoon in the food processor with 6oz butter and 1/2 cup of Trex until it looks like bread crumbs.

Add another cup of flour and pulse five or six times.

Tip the lot into a bowl and add 1/4 cup of freezing vodka and 1/4 cup of iced water and bring together with a spatula before rolling into a ball with your hands.

Chill for 45 minutes and you have the best pastry ever. I make it for my mince pies, and everyone who eats them marvels at how good the pastry is .

Slubber: a food processor is cheaper!