by hand - shortcrust pastry

Why? Because I am making a rich wild rabbit pie for Easter, and it needs a simple vessel

you will need,

1 1/3 cup plain flour w a pinch of salt
180g cold hard butter
1/4 cup cold water

to make,

measure your cold water and keep nearby

put the flour in a pile on a clean bench

grate the butter

quickly rub the butter into the flour using your fingers, so it's a bit like rough bread crumbs.

make a pile out of this mess and form a hole in the middle to create a well.

tip the cold water into the well, and using a spoon draw the butter/flour mix into it until the water is soaked up.

using the heel of your hand smear the mix away from you, then draw it back into the pile and smear it away again to combine.

now shape it into a ball, dust with a bit more flour and stick in the fridge for half an hour.

to use,
roll out and put in a greased tin,
scrunch up some baking paper, then re flatten, this stops the paper scratching the pastry
put it on top of the pastry including up the sides
fill the now paper covered pastry case with blind baking material - I use uncooked rice
bake in the oven pastry is cooked but still pale, about 1o mins at 200
remove the blind baking stuff and cook pastry case for another 5 mins to dry it out futher

if hot filling add to hot case
if cold filling allow the case to cool before adding