Recipe: Basic Pie Shell

Enough for a single crust 9-inch pie

- 1-½ cups sifted all-purpose flour

- 6 tablespoons sifted cake flour

- 2 teaspoons sugar

- ½ teaspoon salt

- 4-½ tablespoons cold shortening, cut into small pieces

- 6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces

- About 5 tablespoons ice water

- Nonstick cooking spray

1. Sift together the flours, sugar and salt. Put into a bowl or food processor. Add the pieces of shortening and butter; cut in by hand or use the pulse button on the processor until large flakes are formed. Add cold water and work just until the dough begins to hold together. Transfer to a sheet of plastic wrap and form dough into a flat disk. Refrigerate at least an hour or overnight.

2. Lightly spray a 9-inch pie pan with cooking spray and set aside. If dough has been refrigerated overnight, remove from refrigerator about 30 minutes before rolling.

3. Roll dough on a lightly floured surface to a 14-inch circle. Use a long, thin spatula to loosen dough occasionally and add a little flour as need to prevent sticking. Transfer dough to pie pan. Trim edge of dough slightly and crimp, or flatten with the tines of a fork. Refrigerate 30 minutes or freeze 15 minutes.

4. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Bake on center oven rack 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack before filling.