Perfect Pie Crust

My mother-in-law makes pies and pie crusts all the time; she makes up three crusts at a time and freezes them in the pie plates so they're ready when she needs them. This is a terrific tip to know about when holiday baking season descends. Here's her recipe:

3 1/2 c. Wondra flour

1 3/4 t. salt

1 1/3 c. shortening

14 T. or so COLD water

Sift flour and salt together. Using a pastry blender, cut in shortening until pieces are pea-sized. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time, working water in with a fork, only until dough is moistened (you don't want it wet and you may not need all the water). Divide dough in thirds and roll out crusts. You can use the scraps from the first two crusts to add into the ball for the third--this is especially helpful if you have one pie plate that's slightly bigger than the others. Or, you can line a muffin tin with scraps and have some mini tart shells.

Makes 3 pie crusts.