step 1
Using a pastry cutter, cut the Unsalted Butter (1/3 cup) and Vegetable Shortening (3/4 cup) in a bowl with All-Purpose Flour (2 1/2 cups) and Salt (1 tsp) until it resembles a coarse meal. A few big bits are ok!
step 2
Add cold Water (1/2 cup) 1 tablespoon at a time, and stir with a wooden spoon to incorporate. You may not need the full 1/2 cup water, so add by tablespoons until Do not add any more water than you need to. The dough should start to clump, and you can begin to collect it and roll into a ball. Place the pie dough on a floured work surface and knead for a minute until flour is incorporated and the dough forms a slightly sticky ball.
step 3
Divide the dough into two balls and flatten it into disks.
step 4
Cover each disk tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours. Lightly spray two mini muffin tins with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
step 5
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (160 degrees C) and make sure the rack is in the middle of your oven.
step 6
Using one crust at a time, roll on a lightly floured work surface until about 1/4 to 1/8 inch thick.
step 7
Using a flower cookie cutter, cut out as many flowers as possible, re-rolling and cutting. Press the flowers gently into a muffin tin and let petals drape over top, so just a small section of the flower sits in a muffin tin (creating a well).
step 8
Place the muffin tins in the refrigerator to chill for about 15 minutes.
Remove the muffin tins from the refrigerator and prick the bottoms of the shells with a fork. Place a mini muffin liner filled with beans in each muffin cup.
step 9
Bake the shells for 20 minutes, or until just barely brown. Let cool for 5 minutes, remove cups of beans.
step 10
Repeat with the remaining dough.
step 11
For the lemon curd, place the Egg Yolks (4) in a bowl and set aside. Whisk together the Granulated Sugar (2/3 cup) and Corn Starch (3 Tbsp) in a medium saucepan.
step 12
Whisk in 1 cup of water and heat boil over medium heat, stirring often until mixture starts to thicken.
step 13
Add a ladleful of the hot sugar mixture to your egg yolks, whisking to incorporate. Next, pour the yolk mixture into the saucepan and continue whisking until well combined. Reduce the heat to low, and continue whisking for 1 minute.
step 14
Remove from the heat and add the Lemon Zest (4 tsp), Lemon Juice (1/3 cup), and Unsalted Butter (2 Tbsp) and whisk until combined.
step 15
Chill until slightly thickened.
step 16
Place the lemon curd in a piping bag with a medium or large round tip. Pipe into the cooled pie shells.
step 17
Top with Powdered Confectioners Sugar (1/2 cup) using a sifter or fine mesh strainer.
