Perfect Pie Crust - vegetable shortening

Method

• Use pastry blender or two butter knives to chop up shortening in flour and salt to pea-sized lumps.
• Stir in water, a few tbsp at a time, stirring with butter knife.
• (Do not stir in ice cubes.)
• Don't mash.
• When mixture starts to form big clumps you've added enough water.
• You won't use a full cup of water, more like 1/2 cup, but keep enough water on hand just in case.
• The key is to keep everything chilled until you get it into the oven.
• Touching it too much will warm it up.
• Be paranoid.
• The other secret is not to blend it too much, keep it loosely binding until you roll it.
• If the shortening lumps are too small it won't be as flaky.
• Place a sheet of plastic wrap on counter.
• Sprinkle it with flour.
• Pick up half of pastry mix, form into ball and place on the centre of sheet, being careful to neither mash it or handle it much.
• Cover with second sheet of plastic wrap.
• Roll from centre out to 1/2 centimeter (1/4 inch) thickness.
• Remove top sheet of plastic.
• Place pie plate upside-down on top of pastry, place hand under plastic, flip, gently press into pan, remove plastic.
• Trim edges with knife.
• (Flute edges - optional.
• ).
• Chill in fridge until ready to add filling and bake.
• May be frozen.
• Makes two layers of crust; top/bottom or two bottom crusts.
• Tip - for a rolling pin use a wine bottle or other glass bottle filled with water and kept in the fridge.