Recipe: Here it is

* Exported from MasterCook *

Pastry for a 9-inch pie shell or a 9 1/2-or 10-by

Recipe By : The Pie & Pastry Bible
Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Dessert

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
***** NONE *****

Pastry for a 9-inch pie shell or a 9 1/2-or 10-by
1-inch tart shell
Makes: 11 ounces/312 grams

INGREDIENTS:
-unsalted butter, cold - 6 tablespoons
-pastry flour or bleached all-purpose flour - 1 cup +1
tablespoon or 1 cup (dip and sweep method)
-*salt - 1/8 teaspoon
-baking powder - 1/8 teaspoon
-cream cheese, cold - 1/4 cup
-ice water - 1 tablespoon
-cider vinegar - 1 1/2 teaspoons

*For savory recipes, use 1 1/2 times the salt.

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
Makes: 14.3 ounces/406 grams

INGREDIENTS
-unsalted butter, cold - 8 tablespoons
-pastry flour or bleached all-purpose flour - 1 1/3
-cups + 4 teaspoons or 1 1/3 cups (dip and sweep method)
-*salt 1/8 teaspoon
-baking powder - 1/8 teaspoon
-cream cheese, cold - one 3-ounce package
-ice water - 1 1/2 tablespoons
-cider vinegar - 1 1/2 teaspoons

Pastry for a two-crust 9-inch pie
Makes: 22 ounces/624 grams

INGREDIENTS
-unsalted butter, cold - 12 tablespoons
-pastry flour or bleached all-purpose flour - 2 cups +
3 tablespoons or 2 cups (dip and sweep method)
-*salt 1/4 teaspoon
-baking powder - 1/4 teaspoon
-cream cheese, cold - 1 1/2 3-ounce packages
-ice water - 2 tablespoons
-cider vinegar - 1 tablespoons

*For savory recipes, use 1 1/2 times the salt.

FOOD PROCESSOR METHOD
Cut the butter into small (about 3/4-inch) cubes. Wrap
it in plastic wrap and freeze 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 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 of 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 warp 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 adn 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 knucles 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.)

VARIATION
Mascarpone Cheese Crust
An equal weight of mascarpone cheese can be
substituted for the cream cheese, but omit the vinegar and
use bleached all-purpose flour, not pastry flour, oor the
crust will be too tender.

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 as 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 strengthens
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)
of 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 fat, and 0.34 ounce more milk
solids. The ext

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I downloaded this from the MSNBC Website, i hope it shows up ok, the recipe
goes on forever. Their website requires that you download a plug in, so you
can't just hop in and out.