Cream Cheese Crust Recipes

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.

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:

• Combine water and vinegar in a small bowl. Combine flour and salt in another bowl. Using a pastry cutter or your fingers, cut butter and cream cheese into flour mixture until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some larger pieces remaining.
• Add water mixture to dough in a slow, steady stream, stirring, until mixture just begins to hold together. (Alternatively, pulse ingredients in a food processor.) Turn out onto a piece of plastic wrap, and wrap. Press dough into a disk using a rolling pin. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour or overnight. (Dough can be frozen for up to 1 month; thaw before using.)
• Roll dough into a 12-inch round on a lightly floured surface. Fit dough into a 9-inch pie dish. Trim edge, leaving a 1-inch overhang. Turn overhang under so that edge is flush with rim. Flute edge. Freeze until firm, about 15 minutes.
• Make filling (see our Pecan Pie recipe).

Steps:

• For the graham cracker crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, confectioners' sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Press into a 9-inch pie pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool completely before filling. Leave the oven on.
• For the cream cheese filling: Put the cream cheese, granulated sugar, vanilla and eggs in a medium bowl and beat with a hand mixer on medium speed until smooth. Pour the filling into the cooled crust and bake until set, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool 5 minutes before topping; leave the oven on.
• For the sour cream topping: Combine the sour cream, granulated sugar and vanilla in a small bowl and mix until smooth. Spread onto the pie and bake 10 minutes. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until cold, about 4 hours. Slice and serve.

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:

• Place flour in large bowl. Cut in cream cheese and butter with pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
• Shape dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 1 hour.
• Place dough between 2 lightly floured sheets of waxed paper; roll into 10-inch round. Discard top sheet of waxed paper. Spray 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray; invert over dough. Flip pie plate, holding pie plate and dough together. Discard second sheet of waxed paper. Gently press dough onto bottom and up side of pie plate. Flute edge of crust, if desired, then use as desired.

Steps:

• Blend cream cheese and butter or margarine. Stir in flour just until blended. Chill about 1 hour. This can be made ahead and chilled for up to 24 hours.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Shape dough into 24 one-inch balls and press into ungreased 1 1/2 inch muffin cups (mini-muffin size) to make a shallow shell. Fill with your favorite filling and bake for 20 minutes, or until the crust is light brown.

Steps:

• Process the butter, cream cheese, and cream in a food processor, electric mixer, or by hand to thoroughly combine.
• Add the flour and salt. Process just until combined and the dough holds together in a ball. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface. Divide into 2 pieces. Flatten into disks and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before rolling out. If the dough is chilled overnight, take it out 15 minutes before rolling out.
• Rub flour all over a rolling pin. Working with one dough disk at a time, place the disk on a clean, well-floured surface. Applying some pressure with the rolling pin, roll gently from the center of the dough to the top and bottom edges. Rotate the disk and roll to the top and bottom edges again. Reflour the work surface and rolling pin, turn the dough over, and continue to roll the dough from the center out to the edges. Turn over and roll again, rotating the disk to ensure even rolling until the dough is about 12 inches in diameter, thin but not transparent.

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:

• In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, combine the rice flour, potato and tapioca starches, oat flour and salt. Pulse once or twice to mix.
• Add cream cheese and butter and pulse about 15 times, then let the food processor run for about 20 seconds, until most of the butter and cream cheese is broken down, but some small chunks remain.
• Turn the dough out onto a counter and use your hands to pack and bring it together. Divide in two equal-sized balls, flatten and wrap well in plastic wrap. Chill for at least 2 hours or overnight before rolling out.

Steps:

• Soften cream cheese and butter and mix together.
• Mix together flour, sugar, and salt and incorporate a little at a time into the butter/cream cheese mixture.
• Press into a 9-inch pie plate and prick with fork.
• Bake for about 10 minutes at 350 degrees (this will partially bake the crust and it will completely bake with the filling).
• Add pie filling of choice and bake as directed.

Steps:

• In a food processor blend the butter, the cream cheese, the flour, and the salt, pulsing the motor, until the dough just begins to form a ball, gather the dough into a ball, and flatten slightly. Dust the dough with flour and chill it, wrapped in plastic wrap, for 1 hour. The dough may be made 1 day in advance and kept wrapped well and chilled.