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.
Apple pie
8-inch pie, 6 servings
Pastry for 2-crust 8-inch pie (above)
5 cups pared, sliced tart apples
⅔ cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 or 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, if desired