In a medium bowl combine ⅔ cup all-purpose flour, 1/3 cup  vegetable shortening, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cut the shortening into the flour with a pastry blender. 

 Stir in 2 Tablespoons cold water with a fork. The pastry dough will be slightly sticky at this point.

Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead a few times until the dough is soft and no longer sticky. Shape into a ball.

Divide the dough into four equal pieces.

Roll a piece of dough into a circle about 6½ inches in diameter.

Line a 5-inch diameter tart pan with a piece of dough. The dough should come to the edge of the pan. Turn under or trim any excess dough that hangs over the edge.

 Gently press the dough that rests on the top edge of the pan with a fork. This will help to hold the dough in place during baking. Prick the dough in the bottom of the pastry tart shell with a fork. Repeat for the remaining pieces of dough.

Remove exactly 12 inches of foil from a roll of aluminum foil. This will give you a sheet that is 12 inches square. Fold it in half in both directions. Cut  the foil along the folds so that you have four pieces of 6-inch square aluminum foil. These will be used for lining the tart for the pie weights. Take one piece of the aluminum foil and use a small dish to mold into the shape of the inside of the tart pan.

Gently place the foil in one of the tart pans that is lined with pastry dough. Fill the tart with ⅔ cup of any variety of dried beans or with pie weights.

Repeat for the remaining tart pans.

Place the prepared tart pans on a cookie sheet. Place the cookie sheet in a preheated 425° oven. Bake for 15 minutes.

 Gently remove the foil and beans from each tart pan. Place the beans in a bowl or pan and allow to cool. Return the tart pans to the oven and cook for an additional 3 to 5 minutes or until the bottom of the crust begins to turn a light brown.

Remove from oven. Allow the shells to cool before adding any filling.