Pie Crust

For a 9" pie pan -- double crust

2 cups flour
2/3 cups shortening (Crisco)*
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar

Cold water by drops to make it stick  (not too much)

Put in refrigerator for 1 hour before working out.

For a single pie shell:

1 1/2  cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup shortening*
4 to 5 tablespoons. cold water

Prick bottom and sides well with a fork. Bake in very hot oven (450° F.) until pastry is golden, 10 to 12 minutes.

Extra dough may be stored in refrigerator.

*An alternative to Crisco is butter. Use 1 1/2 sticks, cold butter, cut into small pieces for a two-crust pie; use 3/4 stick, 6 tablespoons cold butter, for a single crust pie.  To see a more formal version of a pie crust made with butter or margarine, if you insist on that substitute, double click here on Perfect Pie Crust, Perfect Pie Crust, a recipe for pastry which accompanies our recipe for Mince Pie.

Tootie never told me where she first found this recipe, but she did use Crisco-brand shortening.

The Crisco company has created sticks of Crisco now and updated their recipe to include that easy-to-measure alternative.  To read their suggestion, modernized and updated, double click here on Updated Pie Crust made with shortening.  Regardless of the choice -- shortening, such as Crisco, or butter,  remember  the success of the pastry depends largely on the tender, loving care of the cook. Though, the pastry chef's secret is to add at least a small amount of Crisco to the butter-based crust to ensure flakiness.