Cream Cheese Crust

Cream cheese crust (with pecan pie)

Despite its name, you really don’t taste the cream cheese in this crust. Instead, the cream cheese lends a richness to the flavor, and the crust is flaky and light.

• Butter - 8 Tblsp. (1 stick) - cold and cut into slices or cubes
• All-purpose flour - 1 cup plus 2 Tblsp.
• Salt - 1/4 tsp.
• Cream cheese - 3 oz.
• Ice water - 1 Tblsp. plus 1 tsp.

Note: this is easy to make with a food processor, but you can also make it by hand, but mixing it with your (clean) hands instead. Wherever it says “pulse” below, just use your fingers in a rough fast mixing motion, and double the time.

1. Place the flour and salt in a food processor and pulse for a few seconds to combine.
2. Add half of the butter and  all of the cream cheese and process for about 10 seconds.
3. Then add the remaining butter  and pulse another few seconds, until the butter in the mixture is the size of small peas. Do not over process or the crust will not be flaky (but it will still taste fine.)
4. Add the ice water and pulse about 4 times. The dough will be coarse and should hold together when pinched.
5. Pour the entire mixture into a plastic bag. press the dough together and then knead it for a minute or so and form it into a ball.
6. Flatten it into a disc shape a little more than an inch thick, wrap tightly in the plastic and chill it in the refrigerator for at least an hour, or up to 2 days. You can also freeze it.
7. When ready to roll the dough out, let it sit at room temperature for about 5- 10 minutes. Then use a floured rolling pin to roll it out on a well-floured surface.
8. To place it in the pan, fold the rolled-out in half, or hang it from the rolling pin.
9. If the dough sticks to the surface, use a floured spatula all around to loosen before lifting it up.

Adapted from Rose’s Celebrations by Rose Levy Beranbaum.

Tags: cheese, pie, tart