_8- or 9-inch pastry shell_
1 cup flour
½ teaspoon salt
⅓ cup shortening
About 2 tablespoons cold water
Mix flour and salt thoroughly. Mix in fat only until mixture is crumbly.
Add a little water at a time, blending lightly. Dough should be just
moist enough to cling together when pressed.
Shape dough into a ball. Roll out on a lightly floured surface or
between two sheets of waxed paper. Fit carefully into piepan. Lift
edges and smooth out air bubbles. For baked pastry shell, trim pastry,
leaving about 1 inch around the edge. Fold edge under and shape into an
upright rim.
Prick bottom and sides well with a fork. Bake at 450° F. (very hot
oven) 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown.
_Variation_
_Two-crust pie._—Double the recipe. Form dough into two balls, one
slightly larger than the other. Roll out larger ball of dough and fit
into piepan. Roll out remaining dough for top crust; make several
slits in crust to let steam escape during baking. Put filling into
pastry-lined pan. Top with second crust. Fold edges of crusts under and
press together to seal. Bake as directed in pie recipe.