Thursday, October 2, 2014

cream cheese pastry dough

I love baking pies.

I really do.

But my problem has always been the crust. Old news, right?

The thing is, I live in a tropical country and I don't have a kitchen with air-conditioning. So when I make pastry, I have to move at the speed of a demon and HURRY, HURRY, HURRY so the butter in my pastry does not melt and I end up with a soggy mess.

Hence, I rarely made my own pastry. Instead, I fork out $$$ to buy ready-made pastry dough.

There is not much wrong with store-bought pastry dough. In fact, they are great for those who have neither the time nor the inclination to make their own pastry.

The only problem is the cost of the pastry.

Hey, I am a home maker and yes, I have a problem with spending unnecessarily largish amounts of money on something that I can make at a much, much lower cost.

So the other night, I was dozing watching the kids play and the TV was on. I was watching a food programme (Yes, I am nothing but predictable) and Lucinda Scala Quinn was making pies. What caught my attention was how smooth her pastry was!

So I googled, and read, and then! I discovered I actually own a copy of her cook book, "Mad Hungry Cravings" so I thought I would give this pastry a go. At most, I end up with another soggy mess.

To my delight, I did achieve a silky and smooth pastry that was super easy to roll and use!! You have no idea how pleased I was!!

I think the LAM was ready to commit uxoricide if he heard the word "pastry" one more time.

Ah well, it was ALL WORTH IT!! :D

Here's how to make this amazing, fool-proof pastry crust in all of 5 minutes!

Into a bowl of a food processor, add cream cheese, butter and cream.
Using the pastry blade (the plastic one), pulse until the ingredients are combined.
If you do not have a food processor, you can also use a pastry blender.

Add the flour and salt all at once. And pulse until the dough comes together.
Divide the dough into 2 portions.
Shape each into a ball, then flatten into a disc and wrap with cling film. Place the dough in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before using.
Take the dough out of the fridge 15 minutes before use. Sprinkle some flour on your work surface. Roll the dough gently from the center to the top and bottom edges.

Turn the dough over, rotate it 90° and roll again, until you achieve the desired thickness.

That's it!!

I think I am in lurve!!! :P

A Joint Giveaway with MummyMoo! 

I am giving away one set of Simply Calphalon Nonstick 6-Piece Bakeware Set (perfect for a beginner baker since these are all the pans you will need to start baking!), consisting of 
2 8-Inch round cake pans 
10-by-15-inch cookie sheet
9-by-13-inch cake pan 
12-cup muffin pan 
4-1/2-by-8-1/2-by-2-1/2-inch medium loaf pan

Made from heavy-gauge carbon steel for even heating with no hot spots
Durable nonstick coating and reinforced rolled edges prevent warping
Oven-safe up to 450°F (230°C) and dishwasher-safe
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*Terms and conditions apply.

RECIPE
Cream Cheese Pastry Dough (Makes 10 pocket pies, or one double-crusted 10-inch pie)
Adapted from Mad Hungry

Ingredients:
8 tablespoons (113.5) unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 ounces (113.5g) cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup (60ml) heavy cream
1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons (203g) plain flour, plus more for rolling out the dough
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

Method:
1. Into a bowl of a food processor, add cream cheese, butter and cream.
2. Using the pastry blade (the plastic one), pulse until the ingredients are combined. If you do not have a food processor, you can also use a pastry blender.
3. Add the flour and salt all at once. And pulse until the dough comes together.
4. Divide the dough into 2 portions.
5. Shape each into a ball, then flatten into a disc and wrap with cling film. Place the dough in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before using.
6. Take the dough out of the fridge 15 minutes before use. Sprinkle some flour on your work surface. Roll the dough gently from the center to the top and bottom edges.
7. Turn the dough over, rotate it 90° and roll again, until you achieve the desired thickness.

4 comments:

  1. Can I use my hook blade that I normally use for bread baking to mix the ingredients ?
    Thanks

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi I don't think so - you can always use your hand (rubbing in method) but you will have to work fast!

      Delete
  2. Hi how long can I keep the dough in fridge? Can it be kept for few days?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi yes. 3-4 days is ok. Otherwise you can freeze then thaw in the fridge over night before using.

      Delete