Shortcrust Pastry

This is a wonderful light pastry, it is most versatile, it can be used in savoury and in sweet recipes.

Ingredients
8oz plain flour
2oz diced hard margarine
2oz diced lard
cold water

Method
1 Place a sieve over a large mixing bowl.
2 Spoon the flour into the sieve and shake the flour through.
3 Add the margarine and lard.
4 Using only the tips of the fingers rub the fats into the flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
5 Add about 6 teaspoons of chilled water.
6 Using a knife stir the water into the flour mixture, then finish off with your fingers.
7 Keep working the mixture until a ball of dough is formed (you may have to add a little more water).
8 Wrap the pastry in cling film and place in the fridge to rest for at least 20 minutes.
9 Use the pastry as per recipe or freeze wrapped in cling film and then placed into a polythene bag and sealed.

Notes
Freezable at -18 degrees centigrade for up to 2 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight or at room temperature for a couple of hours.