Let's talk about the equipment you'll need for pie crust. You really need only a few basics but we'll also cover some things that will make it much easier and cut down considerably on the mess.

• rolling pin
• basic measuring tools - cups and spoons
• Aluminum foil is a necessity also
• pie plates or a baking pan
  • You can use a 9x13 cake pan to make a nice big pie. Just remember to double or triple your pie crust recipe
  • clear glass pie plates let see the crust browning. A 10" deep dish pie plate is ideal, but getting harder and harder to find.
• pastry cutter
  • You can use two knives to cut the shortening or butter into the dry ingredients but a pastry cutter is much easier and they're very inexpensive. You never want to use your hands to cut the shortening or butter in because the heat of your hands will soften the fat and keep your crust from being flaky.
• 2-pc. Pastry Cloth and Rolling Pin Cover Set or a pastry board with covers that fit over it that includes the rolling pin covers. 
  • A pastry cloth doesn't take nearly so much flour to keep the dough from sticking. If you're using a rolling pin cover also it takes even less flour because the cloth holds the flour keeping the dough from sticking to either the rolling pin or the cloth.
  • The set I got only cost about $15 and that included the board. But you can get just a simple pastry cloth set with covers for your rolling pin for about $5. Once you've used one you'll never go back to the old way!
  • If you're not getting the set with the board to hold the cover I recommend getting a pastry cloth that has the rubberized backing. The backing will keep the cloth from moving around and make rolling the dough out much easier.

That's about all you need so let's get started! I don't care how much trouble you've had with pie crust I promise these won't give you a bit of grief. It's so easy to handle and you can even roll it out more than once if you tear it putting it in the pan. 

It also makes enough for 4 single crust pies or 2 double crust pies. If you don't need that much at one time you can keep it in the refrigerator for a few days or you can make your next pie crusts ahead and freeze them in the pans unbaked (or between sheets of waxed paper in a freezer bag. Then when you want to make a quick pie most of the work and mess is already done.

The pies and fillings in this series are:

• No-Fail Pie Crust

• Basic Crisco Pie Crust

• Flakey butter and crumb crusts

• Pecan Pie and Pumpkin Pie

• Raisin, Apple and Custard Pies