Perfect Homemade Pie Crust

1. Cut the COLD butter into ½-inch dice and return it to the refrigerator while you prepare the flour mixture.
2. Place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and give it a few pulses to mix.
3. Add the cold diced butter and the shortening and pulse about 8 to 10 times. The butter should be the size of peas. With the machine running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse until the dough begins to form a ball.
4. Dump the dough on a floured board and roll into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
5. After the dough is chilled, cut the dough in half.
6. On a floured surface, roll each dough piece into a circle rolling from the center of the dough towards the edge, turning and flouring the dough as needed to make sure It doesn't stick to the board.
7. Carefully ease one pie crust into a pie plate, making sure not to stretch the dough at all, or it will shrink as the pie bakes.
8. With a sharp knife, cut the excess dough off at the edge of the pie plate. Fold the edge under and crimp the edge with either your fingers or the tines of a fork. Repeat with the other crust.

TO BLIND BAKE:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F
2. Line the crust with parchment paper. Fill the paper three-quarters full with dry beans or pie weights and bake the crust for 15 minutes, until the edges start to brown. Remove the beans and paper (save the beans for another time). Brush the crust with the egg wash and prick the bottom of the crust all over with the tines of a fork. Bake for another 5 - 8 minutes.