• ½ pound plain flour
• ½ level teaspoon salt
• 1 level tablespoon icing sugar
• 5 ounces butter
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 egg yolk, beaten with 1 tablespoon water
• 1-2 tablespoons water

Sift flour, salt and icing sugar into a mixing bowl. Dice slightly softened butter and add to flour mixture. Using pastry blender or two knives scissor fashion, cut in butter until blend begins to crumble. Then rub in butter with the tips of fingers until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Do this very gently and lightly or the mixture will become greasy and heavy. Add lemon juice and beaten egg yolk and water mixture gradually, all the time tossing gently from bottom of bowl with a fork; add water until crumbs adhere when pressed.

Shape dough lightly into 2 flattened rounds, wrap in plastic and put in refrigerator for at least an hour, or overnight, to ripen and become firm.

If chilled dough is too firm to handle, leave it at room temperature until it softens slightly.

Pat one ball of dough on a floured pastry board with a lightly floured rolling pin to flatten and shape it. Then roll from the centre to edges until pastry is ⅛ inch thick and 2 inches larger in diameter than pie tin. Fold in half and lift into position over tin. To prevent shrinkage, press pastry into pan without stretching. Use in the following ways:

Two-Crust Pie Fill with fruit, moisten edge, cover with top crust and press to seal. Trim off excess pastry; press edge with fork or crimp with fingers. Cut gashes in top for the steam to escape. Bake in a moderately hot oven (400°F-M5) until crust is brown and fruit is tender - about 30 minutes.

One-Crust Pie Using scissors, trim pastry ½ inch beyond edge of pan. Fold edge under and crimp with fingers. Fill with uncooked mixture; bake as directed.

Pastry Shell Line pan with pastry and prick bottom and sides well with fork. Bake “blind” in a hot oven (405°F-M7) for 15 minutes. Remove beans and foil; lower heat to 375°-M4, and bake for 10 to 15 minutes longer.