This supposedly makes enough for one pie (top and bottom crusts). I find it difficult to roll it out large enough without making the crust too thin for me to easily handle it, so I usually increase the recipe by half. Any excess won't be wasted - just sprinkle a little cinnamon and sugar on the trimmings and bake them on a cookie sheet for a nice snack.
It's important to sift the flour first, then measure it carefully - too much flour will make the dough dry and difficult to handle. If you scoop the cup into the flour you'll probably pack too much into the cup, so spoon it into the measuring cup and then scrape it level with the top of the cup.
Add the salt and stir it into the flour (I use a whisk).
Always use plain shortening. My mom gave me some butter-flavored Crisco once, and it was a disaster. The crust had no elasticity, and tore everywhere when I tried to put it in the pan.
Use a wire pastry cutter thingy to cut 1/2 of the Crisco into the flour and salt, working it until it forms small bits that look sort of like a very course cornmeal.
Do the same with the rest of the Crisco, but stop when the chunks are somewhere between the size of an almond and pea-size.
The larger pieces of shortening will make the crust flakier.
Sprinkle the ice water over the mix and stir it in quickly with a fork, stopping as soon as the dough clumps up, sticks to the fork, and starts pulling away from the sides of the bowl. You don't want to work it too much, or the crust will get tough.
Form it into a loose ball in your hands, tear it in half, and pat each half quickly into a ball, stopping as soon as the surface is reasonably smooth (once again, don't work it too much).
I've found that I get better results if I wrap each ball in plastic wrap and then let it rest in the refrigerator while I prepare the filling. Having it cool off in the fridge for a while seems to make it roll out better; it's less sticky and more pliable.
Get a canvas rolling cloth and a stockingette rolling pin cover - they help a lot!
Sprinle some flour onto both the rolling pin and the rolling cloth, spreading it with your hands until they are evenly dusted. I also sprinkle just a little bit of flour on the bottom of each dough ball before I roll them out.
Roll the dough out until it's a few inches larger than the pie pan, then set the pan on the crust and use a butter knife to trim out an even circle that's about an inch larger than the pan on all sides.
Set the pan aside and lift the rolling cloth to fold the crust in half. Pick up the folded crust and set it into one side of the pan, and then unfold it to cover the rest of the pan.
Spoon the filling into the pie crust, then roll out the other ball of dough, trim it, and fold it.
Moisten the edge of the lower crust with a bit of water, then lay the folded crust on top of half of the pie and unfold it.
Fold the overhanging edges of the crusts under themselves and stand them up. As you work your way around the rim, use little twisting motions to create a scalloped edge.
Use a sharp knife to pierce the center of the crust so steam can escape. I like to make 8 little radial cuts, since I think an eighth of a pie is the perfect serving, and that way I have guides for dividing the finished pie.
Enjoy!
