Flaky Pie Crust

Audrey Anderson sent me her recipe, from America's Test Kitchen.

Makes enough for one 9 inch pie
Prep: 5 min. Total: 1 hour 15 minutes (including 1 hour chilling time)
To make ahead: The dough can be refrigerated, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 2 months. Let the frozen dough thaw on the countertop until malleable before rolling.


Ingredients

2 1/2 cups flour, plus extra for rolling out the dough
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
8 Tbsp vegetable shortening, cut into 1/2 inch pieces and chilled (I store my crisco in the freezer)
12 Tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1/4 inch pieces and chilled
6-8 Tbsp ice water

1. Process the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor until combined. Scatter the shortening over the top and process until the mixture has the texture of coarse sand, about 10 seconds. Scatter the butter pieces over the top and, using short pulses, process the mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs, about 10 pulses. Transfer to bowl.

2. Sprinkle 6 Tbsp of the ice water over the mixture. Stir and press the dough together using a stiff rubber spatula until the dough sticks together. If the dough does not come together, stir in the remaining water, 1 Tbsp at a time, until it does.

3. Divide the dough into two even pieces and flatten each into a 4 inch disk. Wrap the disks tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. Let the chilled dough soften slightly at room temperature before rolling it out and fitting it into a pie plate.

(Hand-Mixing Method)
Freeze the butter in its stick form until very firm. Whisk together the flour, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Add the chilled shortening and press into the flour, usng fork. Grate the frozen butter on the large holes of a box grater into the flour mixture, then cut the mixture together, using two butter or dinner knives, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Continue as in steps 2 and 3 above.