This flaky and tender pie crust is an incredibly easy, never fail pie crust recipe that boasts butter galore for flakiness as well as cream cheese for tenderness.
Flaky and Tender Pie Crust
Ingredients
Directions
In a food processor, combine the flour, salt, and baking powder and process until blended. Add the cream cheese and process until a coarse dough forms. Add the butter and pulse just until crumbs of dough that are the size of peanuts form. Add the cream and vinegar and pulse until the chunks of butter are the size of peas.
Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Place each hand in a latex glove or a large resealable plastic bag and gently press the dough until it holds together in a smooth, flat disk. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 45 minutes before rolling it out according to your recipe.
Pastry Flour Substitute
If you don’t have pastry flour, to achieve the same tenderness in your pie crust, use a blend of bleached all-purpose flour and cake flour. For every cup of pastry flour required, use 2/3 cup all-purpose flour and 1/3 cup cake flour.
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I am a novice at baking. Does this pie crust recipe make enough to cover the apples with a crust too? Is this what is meant by a single pie crust?
Debbie, generally a single pie crust just covers the bottom of the pie shell, but not the top of the pie. You’d want to make two in order to have enough to have a top crust.
Does anyone realize that cream cheese comes in 8 ounce bricks?
Aaron, we certainly do. But they also come in 3-ounce packages, too.
Or just cut off 3 oz and use the rest on toast or bagels.
Yes, that will also work. Thanks, Debbie!
Pie is in fridge ready to bake. Can it wait until tomorrow? Also, can I use egg wash?
Catherine, what kind of pie? And, yes, you can use egg wash. Just brush it on right before going in the oven.
I would love to try the flaky and tender pie crust but it bothers me a bit that the recipe calls for a 3 oz. package of cream cheese. I haven’t seen those in stores for years! I know I could divide an 8 oz. package, but really?
Diane, how about this? Since the recipe makes just one crust, and the holidays are upon us, double the recipe! That way you can make two single-crust pies or one double-crust pie. Right now I have 6 crusts in my freezer just waiting to be devoured by New Year’s Eve.