Pie Crust

Friends are coming for dinner!  YAY!  Fun!  My DH is gone and her DH is gone so we made a date.  I am planning: roast chicken, ratatouille, and fresh baked apple pie.  Here is my pie crust recipe.  I learned it from my mommy, who probably learned it from her mommy, and I don't know where she got it from.  Anyways, here it is....
Place in a bowl:
 2 cups white all purpose flour
2/3 cup frozen shortening.  (Tenderflake is my favourite!)
And a sprinkle of salt. 
Chop up the frozen shortening into pea sized chunks.  I like to use two butter knives but you can also use a pastry cutter.  This is what it should look like....

Get a bowl of ice water and add a splash of vinegar.  (A cereal bowl of ice water, and a shot glass of vinegar is alright.)  And have a clean bowl nearby. 

Start by making a well in the flour mixture.  Add ~ 2 tbsp. of the water mixture to the flour mixture well.  Gently stir, until you form several small clumps.  The clumps should not be bigger than a date; if they are, cut them in half and keep stirring.  The less you handle them the better.  Here are some pictures of clumps and clusters.  The consistency of these clusters is key!  They should be crumbly, however they should stick together when pressed.  Not too wet, not too dry.Now, remove the clump cluster, and place it in the clean bowl.  Keep doing this until the flour mixture is gone. 

This is what it should look like when you are done.

You can make this ahead.  To refrigerate, wrap in plastic wrap.  Remember -the less you handle the better- so be gentle.

Pie tomorrow!