8 tablespoons butter, cubed and softened
1 3-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 cup all-purpose flour
1. Preheat oven to 325ºF.
2. In a large bowl, blend together the butter and cream cheese.
3. Stir in flour and chill for 1 hour in the refrigerator.
4. On a lightly floured surface, use your hands to slightly flatten dough. Roll form center to edges into a circle about 12 inches in diameter.
5. Bake crust only until golden brown, about 20 minutes.
2 cups all-purpose flour; unsifted
½ cup Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces; very finely chopped
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon sea salt
⅔ cups vegetable shortening; chilled
4 tablespoons ice water; or up to 5 tablespoons
1. In a medium bowl, combine flour, pecans, sugar and salt. With a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
2. Add ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and stir lightly with a fork just until a soft, manageable pastry forms.
3. Divide pastry into 2 balls. Between 2 sheets of floured waxed paper, roll out one ball to an 11-inch round.
4. Remove the top sheet of paper and invert pastry into a 9-inch pie plate, letting excess extend over the edge.
5. Remove the remaining sheet of waxed paper. Trim pastry edge even with the rim of the plate.
6. To make braided pastry, between sheets of floured waxed paper, roll out remaining ball of pastry and pastry scraps to a 10-inch-by-4½-inch rectangle.
7. Remove top sheet of waxed paper.
8. Cut the rectangle lengthwise into twelve ⅜-inch wide strips.
9. Braid 3 strips together; repeat 3 times with remaining strips.
10. With water, moisten the rim of the pastry in the pie plate.
11. Place braids around the rim of the plate.
12. Trim off any excess braid and pat ends together where they meet.
Yield: 1 9-inch pastry shell
1¼ cups all-purpose flour plus extra for dough and surface
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
½ teaspoon sea salt
8 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter; cut into ¼-inch pats
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening; frozen solid and cut
1 large chilled egg white; mixed with ice water
1 large egg yolk; beaten
⅛ teaspoon water
1. Preheat oven to 400ºF.
2. Mix flour, sugar, and salt in food processor fitted with steel blade. Scatter butter and shortening over dry ingredients and pulse until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal, 10 to 15 seconds. Turn mixture into medium bowl.
3. Sprinkle egg white mixture over flour mixture and, with blade of rubber spatula, use folding motion to mix. Press down on dough with broad side of spatula until dough sticks together. Shape dough into ball with hands, and then flatten into 4-inch disk. Dust dough lightly with flour, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and place in refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.
4. Roll dough on lightly floured surface into 13-inch circle and transfer to 9-inch pie pan, preferably glass. Press dough into corners and sides of pan, being careful not to stretch dough. Trim edges of dough to make ½-inch overhang. Tuck overhanging dough under so that folded edge is flush with rim of pan. Flute edge.
5. Chill shell until firm, about 1 hour. Prick sides and bottom with fork and line entire shell with heavy-duty aluminum foil, pressing foil firmly against shell and extending it over fluted rim. Prick foil with fork and return shell to refrigerator while oven is heating.
6. Adjust oven rack to center position and heat oven to 400ºF
7. Bake, pressing once or twice with mitt-protected hands, if necessary, to flatten any puffing, until crust is firmly set, about 15 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake until bottom begins to color, about 10 minutes longer. Remove from oven, brush sides and bottom with egg yolk, and return to oven.
Yield: 1 9-inch pie shell
⅓ cup rolled oats
¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
½ teaspoon sea salt
6 tablespoons Crisco; chilled
1 egg yolk; beaten
2 tablespoons dark rum
1. Preheat oven to 400ºF.
2. Place the oats in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until lightly toasted, about 5 minutes. Allow to cool.
3. In a large mixing bowl combine oats, flour sugar and salt. Cut chilled shortening into dry ingredients. Mix in the egg yolk with a fork, and add enough rum to form a soft dough. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour before using.
4. Roll the Rum Oat Crust dough on a lightly floured board, and line a 9-inch pie plate with it. Trim and flute the edges.
Yield: 1 9-inch pastry shell
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup unsalted butter; cooled
1 pinch sea salt
1 large egg
1. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, cooled butter and salt.
2. Add flour 1 cup at a time and mix.
3. Add 1 egg and mix well but do not overwork.
4. Divide the dough mixture into two portions two-thirds and one-third parts of the dough. Let the dough rest in a refrigerator for at least 2 hours, overnight if possible. Roll out the ⅔ portion of dough until its 13 inches in diameter. Place this layer in a buttered 10-inch pie plate. Leave any excess dough hanging over the edge of the plate. Place this dough in the refrigerator. Roll out the ⅓ portion of dough until its 11 inches in diameter. Refrigerate on waxed paper.
Yield: 1 10-inch pastry shell
2 cups flour
⅓ pound butter, at room temperature
2 egg yolks
2 tablespoons sugar
Grated rind of 1 lemon
Pinch of salt
1. Put the flour in a mixing bowl, make a well in the center and add the remaining ingredients.
2. Mix the center ingredients with the fingers of one hand or a pastry blender until blended. Quickly work in the flour. Add a small amount of ice water if necessary to moisten the dough so it can be gathered into a ball.
3. Wrap the dough in wax paper and chill 1 hour. Roll out the pastry, fit it into the plates and bake on the bottom shelf of a preheated 450ºF oven until brown, about 15 minutes.
Yield: 6 tart shells, or 2 9-inch pie shells
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 ounces cream cheese; softened
¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons unsalted butter; softened
1. Combine all ingredients; stir until blended. Shape dough into 24 balls; chill.
2. Place in greased 1¾-inch tart pans, shaping each ball into a shell.
Yield: 2 dozen tart shells
1⅓ cups vanilla wafer crumbs
¼ cup sugar
5 tablespoons butter, melted
1. Preheat oven to 400ºF.
2. Combine the crumbs with the sugar and melted butter and mix thoroughly.
3. Press the mixture firmly against the sides and bottom of a 9-inch pie plate, using the back of a spoon.
4. Bake 5 minutes and cool.
Yield: 1 9-inch pie crust