Pie Crust

-by Denise Robison

Pastry for Single-Crust Pie
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
¼ tsp salt
1/3 cup shortening
3 to 4 Tbs cold water

Stir together flour and salt. Cut in shortening. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of cold water over part of the mixture and gently toss with a fork. Repeat until moistened. Press dough into a ball. Between two pieces of wax paper, roll dough from center to edges. When dough is about 12 inches in diameter remove top sheet of wax paper and wrap the pastry around rolling pin and off of the bottom sheet of wax paper. Unroll onto a 9-inch pie plate. Ease pastry into pie plate. Trim to ½ inch beyond edge of pie plate, fold under extra pastry and flute edge. Bake as directed in individual recipes.

Pastry for Double-Crust Pie
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp salt
2/3 cup shortening
6 to 7 Tbs cold water

Stir together flour and salt. Cut in shortening. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of cold water over part of the mixture and gently toss with a fork. Repeat until moistened. Press dough into a ball, and cut in half. Between two pieces of wax paper, roll one half of dough from center to edges. When dough is about 12 inches in diameter remove top sheet of wax paper and wrap the pastry around rolling pin and off of the bottom sheet of wax paper. Unroll onto a 9-inch pie plate. Ease pastry into pie plate. Trim pastry even with rim of pie plate. For top crust, roll remaining dough. Fill pastry in pie plate with desired filling. Place top crust on filling. Trim top crust ½ inch beyond edge of plate. Fold top crust under bottom crust; flute edge. Bake as directed in individual recipes.