Crust Makes the Pie

I LOVE my crust recipe.  It's damn easy.  Thanks to my mom for passing this recipe on to me.  I've added a small change or two, but it's tried and true for a flaky, tasty crust that goes well with any pie.

1/2 cup of shortening
1 1/2 cups of flour
1 teaspoon salt
6 to 7 tablespoons of COLD water

Makes 1 9-inch pie crust.  Double the recipe for two pie crusts or to have crust left over for lattice work.

In a mixing bowl, combine the shortening, flour and salt until the mixture is crumbly. Add the water tablespoon by tablespoon, mixing it with a fork until the dough clumps and sticks together (usually 6 to 7 tablespoons total). Don't overwork the dough. Pat the dough into a ball, add a little flour to the top of the dough, so the rolling pin won't stick, and on a lightly floured, smooth surface, roll out the dough evenly into a circle. Roll out the dough so it is larger than the circumference of the pie pan by an inch. As a trick, I roll the dough around a floured rolling pin and then unroll it onto the pie pan. Press the dough firmly into the pie pan. I choose to tuck the extra inch of dough hanging over the edge of the pie pan under, so I can make a fluted edge. If you are going to prebake the crust, prick the crust thoroughly on the bottom and the inside edges, so the crust won't bubble up. Cook at 475 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until golden.  If you have prebaked the crust and are ready to put a pie in the oven for baking, add foil to the exposed, already baked crust, so it won't get overcooked.

If you use this crust recipe, let me know how it goes!