Perfect Pastry

Ingredients

2 cups SIFTED all-purpose flour
¾ cup shortening
1 tsp salt
4 to 5 Tbsp ice water

Directions

1. Sift flour with salt into medium bowl


2. With pastry blender or 2 knives cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal


3. Quickly sprinkle ice water, 1 Tbsp at a time, over all of pastry mixture, tossing lightly with a fork after each addition and pushing dampened portion to side of bowl: sprinkle only remaining dry portion


4. Shape pastry into a ball; wrap in wax paper or plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use


5. Divide pastry in half; flatten each half with palm of hand


6. Sprinkle small amount of flour on pastry or on rolling pin and roll out pastry starting from center. Change angle of rolling pin and sprinkle more flour regularly


7. Fit crust into pie plate. Press gently with fingers toward center of plate, but do not stretch the pastry. See notes for more hints and options.


8. Repeat for upper crust.

Notes:

• Nothing beats a good-old fashioned home-baked pie. Making a decent-looking crust takes some practice, but it's well worth it. For best taste, don't overwork the pastry.


• It may be helpful to roll out pastry on a clean dish towel. Fold pastry in half and transport to pie shell with towel. Gently transfer to plate keeping fold in center of plate. Unfold.


• For a one crust pie, cut off excess crust above the rim of the plate. Crimp crust to make a pleasing design.


• For a baked crust, follow above instructions for a one crust pie. Then prick entire surface of the pastry with a fork and then refrigerate for about thirty minutes. Heat oven to 450°F. Bake crust for 8 - 10 minutes until golden brown. Cool on wire rack


• Trim top crust about ½ inch beyond bottom crust. Fold top crust under bottom crust and press gently to seal. Crimp edges decoratively.


• For a shiny, glazed top, brush top crust with 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 Tbsp water or with 1 slightly beaten egg white or with undiluted evaporated milk.


• Makes one 8 or 9 inch two crust pie or two one crust pies.


• Be sure to sift flour. This really does make a difference. Really! I usually don't bother to sift with almost all other recipes, but do sift when making pastry.


• Adapted from "Flaky Pastry for Two Crust Pie" McCall's Book of Cakes and Pies, Copyright © 1965 by The McCall Corporation. Published by Advance Publishers, INC; P.O. Box 7200, Orlando, Florida

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