The Perfect Cream Cheese Pie Crust Recipes

Steps:

• 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 reclosable 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.

Steps:

• Soften cream cheese and butter and mix together incorporating flour a little at a time.
• Roll out with a rolling pin between 2 wax papers. Transfer to a 9-inch pie plate and prick with fork before half-baking to prevent shrinkage. Bake for about 10 minutes at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Steps:

• Place a medium bowl into freezer to chill.
• Wrap cubed butter in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Place 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon flour in a medium bowl; add salt and whisk to combine. Rub in cream cheese using clean fingers until mixture develops coarse crumbs. Place cream cheese mixture and chilled butter into a gallon-size resealable plastic bag.
• Flatten the cream cheese-butter mixture into thin flakes through the bag, using a rolling pin. Freeze until mixture is firm, about 10 minutes. Pour mixture into the chilled bowl. Sprinkle with water and vinegar, tossing lightly with a spatula. Knead until dough holds together and is slightly elastic.
• Place dough back into the plastic bag and flatten into a disk. Refrigerate, 45 minutes to overnight, before using.

Steps:

• Pulse the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor. Add the butter and pulse until it is the size of peas. Add the cream cheese and pulse until it is the size of peas. Add the vinegar and 2 tablespoons ice water and pulse a few times, until the dough holds together when squeezed. Gather into a ball on a sheet of plastic wrap. Pat into a disk, wrap and chill at least 4 hours.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425°F if you are baking the pie shell.
• Combine the flour and salt in a mixing bowl and stir with a fork to mix, or put into the food processor.
• Add the shortening and cream cheese, and cut them into the flour until the mixture looks like small pebbles, it will be irregular, and some pieces will be larger than others, or process with"pulses" in a food processor.
• Sprinkle the water evenly over the mixture, a little at a time, stirring with a fork or with"pulses" after each addition to distribute the water evenly.
• Depending on the moisture in the cream cheese, the dough might not need all of the second tablespoon.
• If it feels quite soft (but not sticky), and holds together in a rough ball, it is ready to roll out.
• Shape it into a cake about 1 inch thick.
• Dust your rolling surface and rolling pin with flour, and roll the dough into a circle about 1/2 inch thick and at least 2 inches larger than the inverted pie pan.
• Transfer the dough to the pie pan, trim and crimp the edges, and the pie shell is ready to he filled before baking, or to be partially baked or fully baked.
• To bake the pie shell; Prick the dough all over with a fork at 1/2-inch intervals.
• Press a 12-inch square of heavy-duty foil snugly into the pie shell.
• Bake for 6 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for 4 minutes more if you want a partially baked shell.
• If the dough begins to puff or swell, push it down with the tines of a fork.
• If you want a fully baked shell, bake for 8 to 10 minutes more, or until it is lightly browned.