Pie Crust pastry

2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup shortening
5 tablespoons water (more or less as needed)

Yield: two pie crusts.

Sift together flour and salt. With pastry blender, cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Quickly sprinkle water, a tablespoon at a time, over pastry tossing lightly with a fork after each addition. Each time, push dampened portion to side of bowl and only sprinkle water over the dry portion.

Pastry should be moist enough to hold together without being sticky.

Divide in half. Flatten each with palm of your hand.

Roll each half to the desired circle size.

For a shiny glazed top crust to a 2-crust pie, prepare a glaze. One egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon of water works best. About 10 minutes before the pie is done, brush this mixture on the top crust.

For a baked pie shell, preheat the oven to 450. Prick entire surface of unbaked shell evenly with a fork. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until golden. Cool on wire rack before filling.