1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup teaspoon salt
3 tbsp cold butter or margarine cut into chunks
3 tbsp cold solid vegetable shortening cut into chunks
For a 9 inch double crust pie
about 2 cups flour
12 tsp salt
6 tbsp cold butter or margarine cut into chunks
6 tbsp cold solid vegetable shortening cut into chunks
1. In a bowl, mix 1 cup flour and the salt (for single crust).
Add
butter and shortening and, with a pastry blender or your fingers, cut
in the fats or rub
in with your fingers until the largest pieces are pea size.
2. Sprinkle 3 tbsp water for single crust or 6 tbsp water for
double crust over
flour mixture. Stir with a fork just until evenly moistened.
Gently squeeze
about 1/4 cup of the dough into a ball; if it won't hold together,
crumble
lump back into bowl and sprinkle with more water, 1 tbsp at a
time; stir
with a fork until moistened.
3. With lightly floured hands, gently squeeze dough into ball.
For double crust,
divide in half and shape each half into a ball. Pat dough into
a smooth 4 inch wide
round (or 2 rounds for double crust). Wrap dough in plastic wrap
and chill until
slightly firm, 15 to 30 minutes.
4. Lay dough on a lightly floured surface. With a floured
rolling pin, roll gently
and evenly in short strokes from center of dough outward to form a
12 inch
wide round. If edges split while rolling, push them back toward
center to make
round relatively smooth. Occasionally slide a long metal spatula
under dough and
lift, dusting flour beneath to prevent sticking.
5. Fold the dough in half and lay into pie.