This is the pie crust my mother, and possibly my grandmother, always made. We have tried other recipes and some of them are very good, but none seem to be as tender and flaky.

Combine flour and salt in bowl. Add shortening and blend with fork or pastry cutter until mixture is fairly coarse. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, gently mixing dough after each addition until dough forms a ball. Place dough on a lightly floured surface and roll into a 10 to 11 inch circle. Line 9-inch pie pan. Flute edges. Chill until use.

If pie recipe calls for a prebaked pie crust, preheat oven to 425. Prick sides and bottom of pie shell with fork. Place pie weights or dried beans in bottom of shell to keep flat while baking. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until crust is brown as desired.

Double Crust: Follow recipe for single crust pie. Divide dough into two portions. Roll top portion as desired.

dough. Also, do not use too much water. My flakiest crusts are the ones that see to fall apart as I roll them. Pie dough can be wrapped in plastic wrap and placed in the refrigerator to rest for 30 minuts before you roll it. Likewise, you can make the dough a day or two ahead of time, roll it or not, and refrigerate until use.