Pie Crust - Gina Dale

3 cups Flour
1 1/2 teaspoons Salt
1/3 cup Sugar, optional
1 cup plus 3 Tablespoons Butter Flavored Shortening
2 Eggs
1/2 cup very cold Water
2 Tablespoons White Vinegar

In a large bowl, thoroughly combine flour, salt and sugar.

Add shortening.

Crumble mixture using your fingers.  Keep doing this until no particle of shortening is larger than a dry pinto bean.

In another bowl, combine eggs, water and vinegar and beat slightly.

Add egg mixture to flour mixture a little at a time, tossing dough particles with a fork and sprinkling egg mixture only on dry areas. Entire amount of egg mixture may not be needed. Dough particles should be moist and cling together, but should not be sticky.

Gather up particles of dough into a ball. Divide in half.

Shape each half into a thick patty.

Drop each patty in flour bin and turn it over to coat both sides with flour.

Roll out dough on waxed paper or pie mat until crust diameter is the width of the paper.  To prevent paper from sliding while rolling out dough dampen a cloth and wipe counter before you place dough on paper.

Note: The bottom of crusts of all pies that are baked after filling should be coated with egg white to prevent soggy doughy crusts from forming.

TO BAKE UNFILLED PIE SHELL: 

Line unpricked pastry shell with a double thickness of heavy-duty foil.

Bake at 450 for 8 minutes.

Remove foil and bake 5 minutes longer.

Cool on wire rack.

Fill as desired.