Perfect Pie Crust

Single Crust:

1 1/3 cups All Purpose Flour
1/2 tsp.salt
1/2 cup well-chilled All Vegetable Shortening, I prefer Crisco
3 to 6 tablespoons ice cold water

Double Crust:

2 cups All Purpose Flour
1 tsp.salt
3/4 cup well-chilled All Vegetable Shortening, I prefer Crisco
4 to 8 tablespoons ice cold water

Directions:

Cut in chilled shortening cubes into flour mixture, using a pastry blender, in an up and down chopping motion, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some small pea-sized pieces remaining.

Sprinkle half the amount of ice cold water over the flour mixture. Using a fork, stir and draw flour from bottom of bowl to the top, distributing moisture evenly into flour. Press chunks down to bottom of bowl with fork. Add more water by the tablespoon, until dough is moist enough to hold together when pressed together.

Test dough for proper moistness by squeezing a marble-sized ball of dough in your hand. If it holds together firmly, do not add any additional water. If the dough crumbles, add more water by the tablespoonful, until dough is moist enough to form a smooth ball when pressed together.

Shape dough into a ball for single pie crust. Divide dough in two for double crust Flatten ball(s) into 1/2-inch thick round disk(s).

For ease in rolling, wrap dough in plastic wrap. Chill for 30 minutes
or up to 2 days.

Roll dough from center outward with steady pressure on a lightly floured work surface (or between two sheets of wax or parchment paper) into a circle 2-inches wider than pie plate for the bottom crust. Transfer dough to pie plate by loosely rolling around rolling pin. Center the rolling pin over the pie plate, and then unroll, easing dough into pie plate.

For a Single pie crust, trim edges of dough leaving a 3/4-inch overhang. Fold edge under. Flute dough as desired. Bake according to specific recipe directions.

For a Double pie crust, roll larger disk for bottom crust, trimming edges of dough even with outer edge of pie plate. Fill unbaked pie crust according to recipe directions. Roll out smaller dough disk. Transfer dough carefully onto filled pie. Trim edges of dough leaving a 3/4-inch overhang. Fold top edge under bottom crust. Press edges together to seal and flute as desired. Cut slits in top crust or prick with fork to vent steam. Bake according to specific recipe directions.

For Pre baking Pie Crusts for a cream pie
Thoroughly prick bottom and sides of unbaked pie dough with fork to prevent
it from blistering or rising. Bake crust in lower third of oven, at 425°F, 10-12 minutes or until edges and bottom are golden brown.