OK here goes...
2/3 cup lard (shortening...you can even use SOME butter but don't use ALL butter)
2 cups flour (AP works fine)
Cut this with a pastry blender or two butter knives until the pieces are slightly smaller than little peas. You are going to add between 4 and 5 tbsps of COLD water to this dry mixture one at a time and blend it with your fingers. You want it to stick together, but not be too wet. HINT: let your hands be very cold. Put them in some cold water for a few minutes before you start blending the water in. Then, one tbsp at a time, just until the dough sticks together nicely. You don't want any slimy stuff on the outside.
Split your dough ball in half. Flour a clean countertop and you rolling pin and roll from the center to the outside edges. Start at the center everytime and work out. Try not to touch your dough with your hands at this point, just move your pin. When it looks like it will fit into the pie plate you have, set it in there. Since its a pumpkin pie, you won't need the top half so you can just put it in a second pie plate and blind bake it. I don't like pumpkin pie, but my understanding is you need to blind bake the shell first. You prick the pie shell all over with a fork or you put some dried beans on the bottom to keep the pie shell flat. Bake in the oven at about 350 for 10 - 15 minutes. Just til it starts to change colour. Then, fill the first one, and leave the second one to cool. (you can put it in a ziploc and freeze it for next time!)
There, thats the basics. I'm sure someone will add stuff for you. Let me know if that works for you.
