If the ultimate tart crust is light and crumbly and buttery why don't
> most recipes suggest using cake flour instead of AP? The same should
> be true for any shortbread type crust (pumpkin pie, lemon meringue > etc) right? >
> Alex
I use 1/3 cake flour and 2/3 AP flour for pie pastry. The mixture of flours approximates pastry flour. I think that all cake flour would produce a crust that is too fragile and the low pH might result in a crust that is very pale.
I'm having house guests next week and will be making several pies and a couple of quiches. Of all the pastry recipes that I have tried, I like the one in "The Way to Cook" by Julia Child. It uses a mixture of flours and has 1/4 vegetable shortening and 3/4 butter. It is tender and flaky, has a great flavor, and is relatively easy to handle.