1. Mix flour and salt in a large mixing bowl.
2. Cut chilled shortening into 1/2-inch (1 cm) cubes. Work in shortening cubes into flour mixture, using a pastry blender or two knives, in an up and down chopping motion, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some small pea-sized pieces remaining.
3. Sprinkle half the maximum recommended amount of ice cold water over the flour mixture. Using a fork, stir and draw flour from bottom of bowl to the top, distributing moisture evenly into flour. Press chunks down to bottom of bowl with fork. Add more water by the tablespoonful (15 mL), until dough is moist enough to hold together when pressed together.
4. Divide dough in two balls, one ball slightly larger than the other. Flatten balls into 1/2-inch (1 cm) thick round disks.
5. Wrap dough in plastic wrap. Chill for 30 minutes or up to 2 days for ease in rolling.
6. Roll larger ball of dough from centre outward with steady pressure on a lightly floured work surface (or between two sheets of wax or parchment paper) into a circle 2-inches (5 cm) wider than pie plate for the bottom crust. Transfer dough to pie plate by loosely rolling around rolling pin. Centre the rolling pin over the pie plate, and then unroll, easing dough into pie plate.
7. Fill unbaked pie crust according to recipe directions. Roll out smaller dough disk. Transfer dough carefully onto filled pie. Trim edges of dough leaving a 3/4-inch (2 cm) overhang. Fold top edge under bottom crust. Press edges together to seal and flute as desired. Cut slits in top crust or prick with fork to vent steam. Bake according to specific recipe directions.

Secret de chef:

Test dough for proper moistness by squeezing a marble-sized ball of dough in your hand. If it holds together firmly, do not add any additional water. If the dough crumbles, add more water by the tablespoonful, until dough is moist enough to form a smooth ball when pressed together.

This recipe is courtesy of Smucker and Maple Leaf