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Cutting in Fat

To "cut in fat" is a term that refers to the integrating of cold fat, e.g. butter or lard, into typically flour. Recipes call for you to cut in fat when you're making some sort of flaky crust, most commonly with pie crusts. What happens is that since the fat isn't melted it ends up forming small balls of fat that create barriers. These small barriers form the flour into something like fish scales, creating the flakiness you see in the final crust. The larger the barriers, i.e. the balls of fat the flakier the crust (to a point). Cutting the fat into very small balls will create a more mealy crust, often used in pies with a wetter filling, such as cream pies, as they are less susceptible to sogginess.

The fat you use depends on personal preference; typically for most people it's a choice between butter and shortening. Butter has better flavor but shortening creates a better textured crust, so many people go with half butter, half shortening or lard.

For a flaky crust you want to cut your fat so it's about the size of a small pea, for a mealy crust you want to keep cutting until your mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.

The key here is that the fat MUST be cold, just taken out of the fridge. In fact, it's also recommended not only to have the fat cold but the flour and the bowl as well.

There are various methods used to cut in fat, however I recommend simply using your hands; in this manner you have a good feel for what’s happening and thus better control. Other methods include using two knives or even a food processor, although the latter is not recommended as you can easily over blend, not only causing the fat pieces to be too small but also over-developing the gluten, causing the final crust to be tough.

Break or cut the fat into slightly smaller, more managable pieces, place in the flour and start smashing the fat and flour with your fingers. As you continue, you will start to get smaller pieces of fat mixed in with the flour, continue until the desired fat size is reached.

Visit the recipe page for a flaky pie crust to put this concept into action.

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