Shortcrust pastry

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I'm a pastry virgin - never made it in my life and I'm keen to try a pie. The recipe I looked at for pastry asks for butter. Can I use margarine? Any top tips for making it?

I always use butter I think it really adds to The flavour, not tried with marg but I can't imagine it would be as good.
They key to pastry is keeping it cold. I use my granny's tip of making it in a bowl that has been in the freezer. I also run my hands under a cold tap for a few minutes before I start.
Do overwork the dough as it builds up the gluten making the pastry tough.
Always rest the dough in the fridge. I usually rest it as a ball in the fridge then if lining a flan/tart case put it in the tin again and chill again before baking blind.

That should say don't over work the dough!

The best shortcrust pastry uses a mixture of butter and lard.

Half the amount of fat to flour. So if you're making 8oz of pastry, it's 8oz plain flour, 2oz butter and 2oz lard.

Cut the fats into cubes and add into the flour, with a pinch of salt.

Rub the fats into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles couscous. Then add a few tablespoons of water, mixing it in with a knife until it all starts to come together in a ball. (You don't need that much water, so add it gradually).

When it comes to a ball, wrap it in clingfilm and rest in the fridge for an hour or so before you role it out.

I make my shortcrust with marg! I've never compared the two, but it seems to be ok. I make a decent quiche.

As above, keep everything cold, and don't over work the dough. Once you've made your pastry, put in in the fridge in clingfilm for at least 30 mins before you roll it out.

I was taught to use margarine - but now I know how it's processed and what's in it, (bleach, anyone?) I'll never use margarine again, of any kind, in anything. Butter tastes so much nicer as well.

Thanks, I'll let you know the result! Had planned on making it today but baby has decided that he'd rather not have his nap so it may have to wait until another day.

Half asked half lard works well! Just make sure it's the solid block kind, not the tub.

If you don't fancy using lard you can use a solid vegetable fat such as Trex instead. For Trex, you use 20% less than if you were using lard.

For dairy free pastry sainsburys baking block works brilliantly instead of butter.