Ingredients
Pastry for a 9-inch pie shell or a 9
1/2- or 10- by 1-inch tart shell
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
1 cup + 1 tablespoon pastry flour or 1 cup (dip and sweep method) bleached
all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt (for savory recipes, use 1 1/2 times the salt)
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup cream cheese, cold
1 tablespoon ice water
1 1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar
Pastry for a 9-inch lattice pie, a
9-inch deep-dish pie, a 10-inch pie shell, or a 12- to 14-inch free-form tart
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
1 1/3 cups + 4 teaspoons pastry flour or 1 1/3 cups (dip and sweep method)
bleached all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt (for savory recipes, use 1 1/2 times the salt)
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
one 3-ounce package cream cheese, cold
1 1/2 tablespoons ice water
1 1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar
Pastry for a two-crust 9-inch pie
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
2 cups + 3 tablespoons pastry flour or 2 cups (dip and sweep method) bleached
all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt (for savory recipes, use 1 1/2 times the salt)
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 3-ounce packages cream cheese, cold
2 tablespoons ice water
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
Preparation:
Food processor method:
Cut the butter into small (about 3/4-inch) cubes. Wrap it in plastic wrap and
freeze it until frozen solid, at least 30 minutes. Place the flour, salt, and
baking powder in a re-closable gallon-size freezer bag and freeze for at least
30 minutes.
Place the flour mixture in a food processor with the metal blade and process for
a few seconds to combine. Set the bag aside.
Cut the cream cheese into 3 or 4
pieces and add it to the flour. Process for about 20 seconds or until the
mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the frozen butter cubes and pulse until none
of the butter is larger than the size of a pea. (Toss with a fork to see it
better.) Remove the cover and add the water and vinegar. Pulse until most of the
butter is reduced to the size of small peas. The mixture will be in particles
and will not hold together. Spoon it into the plastic bag. (For a double-crust
pie, it is easiest to divide the mixture in half at this point.)
Holding both ends of the bag opening
with your fingers, knead the mixture by alternately pressing it, from the
outside of the bag with the knuckles and heels of your hands until the mixture
holds together in one piece and feels slightly stretchy when pulled.
Wrap the dough with the plastic
wrap, flatten it into a disc (or discs) and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes,
preferably overnight. (For a pie shell and lattice, divide it in a ratio of two
thirds:one third — use about 9.5 ounces for the shell and the rest for the
lattice, flattening the smaller part into a rectangle.)
Hand method:
Place a medium mixing bowl in the freezer to chill.
Cut the butter into small (about
3/4-inch) cubes. Wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 30
minutes.
Place the flour, salt, and baking
powder in a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Add the cream cheese and rub the
mixture between your fingers to blend the cream cheese into the flour until it
resembles coarse meal. Spoon the mixture, together with the cold butter, into a
reclosable gallon-size freezer bag. Expel any air from the bag and close it. Use
a rolling pin to flatten the butter into thin flakes. Place the bag in the
freezer for at least 10 minutes or until the butter is very firm.
Transfer the mixture to the chilled
bowl, scraping the sides of the bag. Set the bag aside. Sprinkle the mixture
with the water and vinegar, tossing lightly with a rubber spatula. Spoon it into
the plastic bag. (For a two-crust pie, it is easiest to divide the mixture in
half at this point.)
Holding both ends of the bag opening
with your fingers, knead the mixture by alternately pressing it, from the
outside of the bag, with the knuckles and heels of your hands until the mixture
holds together in one piece and feels slightly stretchy when pulled.
Wrap the dough with plastic wrap,
flatten it into a disc (or discs), and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes,
preferably overnight. (For a pie shell and lattice, divide it in a ratio of two
thirds:one third — use about 9.5 ounces for the shell and the rest for the
lattice, flattening the smaller part into a rectangle.)
Store:
Refrigerated, up to 2 days; frozen, up to 3 months.
Understanding
A classic cream cheese crust contains no water and is more tender than an
all-butter crust but not at all flaky. I have found it to be so tender it is
impossible to use for a lattice top and the bottom crust often develops cracks
through which a filling will leak and stick to the bottom of the pan. Very
little water is needed, because the cream cheese contains 51 percent water. The
addition of a small amount of water connects the two gluten-forming proteins in
the flour, producing the rubbery, stretchy gluten that strenghtens the structure
just enough to prevent cracking when the crust bakes. This pie crust does not
shrink or distort as much as an all-butter crust because there is less
development of gluten. The acidity of the vinegar weakens the gluten that forms,
making the crust still more tender and less likely to shrink. If desired, it can
be replaced with water.
Cream cheese is 51 percent water and
37.7 percent fat, so 3 ounces contain 1.53 ounces (about 3 tablespoons) or water
and 1.13 ounces of fat. That means that the pie crust with 6.5 ounces of flour
contains the equivalent of about 4 1/2 tablespoons of water. Compared to the
all-butter crust, this crust has about 1 tablespoon more water, 1.13 ounces more
of fat, and .34 ounce more milk solids. The extra fat in the cream cheese coats
some of the proteins in the flour, limiting the development of gluten, which
would make it tougher. The milk solids add both flavor and smoothness of
texture.
The baking powder lifts and aerates
the dough slightly without weakening it, but it also makes it seem more tender.
In developing this recipe, I found
that if not using the vinegar and baking powder to tenderize the crust, it is
advisable to add one quarter of the butter together with the cream cheese when
using all-purpose flour. This helps to moisture-proof it but, of course, takes
away a little from the flakiness, as there is less butter available to add in
larger pieces to create layers.
Dessert Recipes
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