BASIC PIE CRUST

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup salted butter, chilled and cubed
• 1/4 cup shortening, chilled and cubed
• 3 - 5 tbsp ice water

Directions

1. Combine flour and salt in a bowl. Cut in butter and shortening with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add ice water, 1 tbsp at a time, mixing lightly with a fork after each addition and adding water just until dough starts to hold together. Gather dough into a ball. Flatten dough into a disc shape. Wrap disc with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes before rolling out.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F.
3. Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface. Fit into a 9 inch pie plate, allowing for 1/2 inch overhang. Trim, fold and flute edges of pastry. Prick bottom of crust all over with a fork. Line bottom of crust with a piece of parchment paper and fill crust with pie weights, dried beans or raw rice. This helps prevent the crust from shrinking or puffing up during baking.
4. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove pie plate from oven. Remove pie weights and parchment paper. Continue baking until crust is fully baked and light golden, about 10 minutes. Cool crust completely in pie plate on a rack.