Easy as pie (crust)?

[feliciakw]

This past July, I entered something in a county fair for the first time ever. It wasn't a baked good; it was one of my crochet projects, and I won/earned a blue ribbon!

So that got me looking at other homemaking arts exhibits, and I see that there's an apple pie contest. Ooohhhhh . . . I found a nifty apple pie recipe that I'm thinking about entering, a Marlborough pie recipe. I describe it as kind of like pumpkin pie, only using apple sauce or shredded apples in place of the pumpkin.

But here's the upshot: for the contest, all crusts must be homemade. Which makes sense, but I need LOTS of practice. I can make a shortening crust (from the Better Homes & Gardens cookbook) in theory, but it's never very pretty.

I tried another one recently that was a combo of shortening and butter. Again, okay, but I need practice.

So my question is this: Can the pie bakers among us share their crust recipes and any suggestions or tips?

Also, how does one par-bake (not pre-bake) a crust? Bake time? Prick the crust? Pie weights/beans?

Any suggestions are most welcome. I have about a year to practice, so no more store-bought crusts for me for a while.

Thanks!