Cream Cheese Pie Crust

2 1/2 cups (325 g) all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

1¼ teaspoons fine salt

14 tablespoons (195 g) cold unsalted butter, cut in ½-inch cubes

4 ounces (115 g) cold full-fat cream cheese, cut in 1-inch cubes

2 ½ tablespoons cold water

Makes 2 single crusts or 1 double crust pie.

Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment.

Mix on low for 30 seconds to combine. Add the butter and cream cheese all at once and mix on low for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs with a few pea-sized pieces of butter throughout.

Drizzle in the water and continue to mix on low for 10 to 15 seconds, or until small clumps of dough start to form; the clumps will look a bit like popcorn.Turn the crumbs out onto your work surface and gather them into a mound.

Press and knead the mass 3 or 4 times until the mixture looks cohesive with no dry spots.

For a double-crust or lattice-crust pie, form the dough into two disks using ⅔ of the dough (about 15 ounces) for one and the remaining ⅓ (about 9 ounces) for the second. For 2 single-crust pies, divide the dough into two equal portions.

Flatten into 1/2” thick disks. Wrap both portions in plastic and chill for at least two hours or up to two days. The well-wrapped dough can be frozen for up to 2 months.