Basic Pie Crust

Serves 8

2 C flour
1 tsp salt
1/3 C safflower oil
3 T cold skim milk

Sift flour and salt together. Mix oil with milk and add to flour mixture. Stir with fork until ingredients are blended and hold together; add more milk, by teaspoons, if necessary. Form dough into two balls. Wrap in plastic and chill slightly. Flatten a ball of dough and place it between two sheets of waxed paper. Roll the dough into a circle large enough to fit in the pie pan. Remove the top sheet of paper and turn the pastry over onto a pie plate; remove the second sheet of paper and ease the crust into the pie pan.

For a single-crust pie, trim off the excess dough and flute the edge with fingers or a fork. For a two-crust pie, add the filling, roll out the second ball of dough, position it on top of the pie, and trim and flute the edges. Use a sharp knife to prick the top of the pie to permit steam to escape while baking.

Yield: Pastry for 2 single-crust 9-inch pies, or for 1 two-crust 9-inch pie.

Suggestions:

A little sugar, cinnamon, or grated citrus rind can be stirred into the flour.
A light dusting of sugar or cinnamon-sugar may be sprinkled over the top of a two-crust pie before baking.