Decadent dessert: homemade pie pastry recipe

Both savoury and sweet, pies are among the most popular items in the frozen food section. When you make your own, you'll understand why homemade is best even before you add up your savings.

Don't waste your cash on premade piecrust: Piecrust is easy to make, doesn't take very long, and if you know a few tricks, it will turn out light and flaky every time. Here is the basic recipe for a pie that has a top crust as well as a bottom one.

What you need:

• 625 g (2 1/4 c) all-purpose flour
• 2 ml (1/2 tsp) salt
• 125 ml (1/2 c or 1 stick) cold butter, cut up
• 50 ml (1/4 c) vegetable shortening
• 75-90 ml (5-6 tbsp) ice waterWhat to do:

  1. In a large bowl, sift together the flour and salt. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut in the butter and shortening until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs.

  2. Add the ice water, 15 millilitres (one tablespoon) at a time, stirring the mixture with a fork to incorporate the water into the dough. Add water only until the dough begins to hold together. Handling the dough as little as possible, divide it in half, shape each half into a ball, and wrap each ball in plastic wrap. Chill the dough balls for at least one hour before using.

  3. For the bottom crust, place one ball of dough on a lightly floured board or pastry cloth. Flatten the ball slightly; then, using a lightly floured or covered rolling pin, roll from the centre of the ball outward in all directions. Make the dough circle large enough to cover the bottom and sides of a pie plate plus about 2.5 centimetres (one inch) more.

  4. For top crust, place the remaining ball of dough on the lightly floured surface and flatten slightly. Roll the dough from the centre outward in all directions until the circle is large enough to cover the pie plate plus about a 1.25 centimetres (1/2 inch) margin.

  Makes enough for a 20 or 23 centimetre (eight or nine inch) double crust pie.

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