Shortcrust Pastry

Making pastry is one of those things which seems dishearteningly complicated if you have never tried it, and childishly simple once you have. Shortcrust pastry, particularly, is quick and easy to make, versatile and reasonably foolproof - no pastry, as expert cooks will tell you, is 100 per cent foolproof. However, if you stick to the directions, it will always be edible even if it falls short of crisp perfection.

Many cookbook recipes for pastry-making are bogged down in theory. Th