Pastry for 9-inch Two Crust Pie

From Lynne Wilson

Ingredients

2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
¾ cup solid vegetable shortening
5 Tbsp. ice water (more or less)

Method

Using a fork, stir the flour and salt together. Cut in the shortening with a pastry blender or two knives until the mixture resembles very coarse cornmeal.

Stir in the ice water with a fork, a Tbsp. at a time, until the pastry holds together. Press into a ball. Chill for 30 minutes.

Divide the dough in half and roll out on a lightly floured surface, making a bottom crust slightly thicker than the top. Fit the bottom pastry loosely into a pie plate and trim the edges almost even with the rim.

Set the top crust aside and follow the directions in the individual recipes.