Flaky Pie Crust

Yield: two 9 230inch crusts

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup lard or shortening, chilled
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, chilled
• 1/4 cup vegetable shortening, chilled
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 5 to 7 tablespoons ice water

Instructions

1. Using a food processor or a pastry blender, cut the lard, butter, and vegetable shortening into the flour and salt. Be careful not to overwork the dough.
2. Add the water a few tablespoons at a time, until the dough just holds together.
3. Divide the dough into two mounds, wrap them in plastic, and refrigerate them at least 30 minutes.
4. If the pie crust is to be baked, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
5. On a floured board or pastry cloth, roll out the dough in a circle a couple of inches larger than the pie pan. To avoid stretching the dough excessively, roll it from the center outward, lifting the rolling pin after each stroke rather than rolling back over the dough in the opposite direction. Loosen the dough, drape it around the rolling pin, and center the crust over the pan, dropping it gently into place. Use the second mound of dough for the top crust.
6. For a single pre-baked crust, pierce the dough in several spots. Cover the pie shell with foil, and weight the foil with dried beans or pie weights.
7. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, and then lower the temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or follow the directions in your pie recipe.