MOM'S FLAKY PIE CRUST (ORIGINALLY FROM GRANDMA ALICE’S CRAFTINESS)

Steps:

• 1. Use pastry blender to blend all ingredients until it has a texture like fine beads or little grains, smaller than pea size 2. Prepare an ice water mixture 3. Use 3 Tbsp. of ice water 4. Use hands to incorporate water. Clump together with palms manipulating dough as little as possible. It should basically be 1 ball, a few straggling crumbs are fine 5. If the dough won't clump together easily add more water 1 tsp at a time. Be careful, if you add too much water there will be no way to save the dough Note-Do not work dough. It'll make the dough bake hard and cracker-like and will not be delicious. Just get it to be all 1 ball and leave it alone 6. On a large working surface, put down 1 sheet of waxed paper, put half the dough in the center of that sheet and press another sheet of waxed paper over that 7. Begin to roll dough between the waxed paper rolling from center to edge, flipping crust and waxed papers over together and roll on other side 8. If you get creases in your crust from the waxed paper, carefully lift one sheet and place it back on after rotating it-so the wrinkles won't be in the same spot-and keep rolling until it is about 1/8" thick 9. When it is 1/8" thick, remove one sheet of waxed paper, place the pie crust in a clean pie dish and carefully mold it to the dish with the waxed paper still on the inside (side that will be against the filling) IMPORTANT: Make sure there are no bubbles between dough and dish! Otherwise, when baking the air within will expand and explode ruining it 10. Finally peel away waxed paper and trim edge 11. Make upper crust in the same way 12. Fill bottom crust with desired filling 13. Lay upper crust on top, remove waxed paper and pinch edges to finish 14. Bake according to filling-recipe's instructions. You don't need to pre-bake unless the filling-recipe says to Note: Using the waxed paper really is easy, and your crust NEVER breaks this way, and it NEVER has a chance to stick to your rolling pin!