PLAIN PIE CRUST

Measure sifted flour. Resift twice with salt. Cut shortening into flour with a pastry blender or two knives until about the size of small peas.
Add ice water, a little at the time, mixing lightly until a dough is formed. Wrap in wax paper and chill in refrigerator for a few minutes.
Divide dough into two parts (or 10 if making tarts).
Roll onto a lightly floured board, starting in center and rolling toward outside to a thickness of about 1/8 inch. Lift dough and turn it around several times during rolling. To transfer crust to pie pan, fold it in the center and lift onto pan. Then unfold and pat into pan. Trim excess.
For a prebaked crust, prick all over with a fork and then bake in a hot oven 12 to 14 minutes or until it’s lightly browned.
For a double crust, leave crust untrimmed until after adding filling; then trim and fit top crust over; making several slits in the top to allow steam to escape.
Moisten edge of bottom crust with water and press top and bottom together to seal well. Trim if necessary and flute edges.