Pie Crust

(this is an OLD recipe - from Fannie Farmer cookbook - and I swear it's the BEST ONE! :)

2 eight inch pie crusts

2 cups flour
1/2 t salt
2/3 cup shortening
1/3 cup cold water

or

2 nine inch pie crusts

2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 t salt
3/4 cup shortening
6-7 T cold water

directions:

mix flour and salt. cut in the shortening with a pastry blender or two knives. combine lightly only until the mixture resembles coarse meal or very tiny peas; its texture will not be uniform but will contain crumbs and small bits and pieces. sprinkle water over the flour mixture, a tablespoon at a time and mix lightly with a fork, using only enough water so that the pastry will hold together when pressed into a ball.

roll the dough out 2 inches larger than pie pan, then fit loosely but firmly into pan. crimp or flute the edges.

for a baked pie shell, prick bottom all over with fork and bake shell 16-18 min in preheated 425*F oven

for partially baked shell, bake 10 minutes.