Cream Cheese Pastry

6 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup margarine
1/4 teaspoon salt

In a large mixing bowl, combine cream cheese and margarine, mixing until well blended. Add flour and salt; mix well. Divide dough in half. Form each portion into a ball. Place each ball in a bowl and cover well; chill thoroughly.

On a lightly floured pastry sheet, roll out each ball to a 12-inch circle. Place 1 circle in a 9-inch pie plate. Trim edge. Pour in favorite fruit filling. Seal and flute edges. Bake according to pie directions.

Makes one 2-crust pie.

Cookie Crumb Crust

1/3 cup butter
1 1/2 cups crushed cookies

In a 9-inch pie pan, melt butter. Stir crumbs in and blend well. Press against sides and bottom of pan. Bake until lightly browned.

Cheddar Cheese Pie Crust

This is a wonderful pastry for apple pie!

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups solid vegetable shortening
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 cup ice water

Sift flour and set aside. In a mixing bowl, cream Cheddar cheese and butter until smooth. Gently mix shortening into cheese mixture until slightly combined. Cut flour into cheese mixture by hand until mixture resembles coarse meal. Dissolve salt and sugar into ice water, and gradually add water to cheese mixture. Mix by hand until firm ball is formed. Do not over-mix. Divide dough into 2 balls, seal in plastic wrap, and chill for at least 30 minutes before rolling out.

When chilled, roll each ball out to about 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface, to a size 2 inches larger than the pan into which it will be fitted (or cut dough into whatever size or shape desired). After bottom crust is fitted into pan, trim edges and finish as directed.

Brown Butter Rum Crust

1 3/4 cups finely crushed shortbread cookies
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
6 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 tablespoons dark rum

Mix crumbs and sugar. Melt butter and heat until very lightly browned. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Stir in rum. Pour over crumb mixture and stir thoroughly. Press over the bottom and sides of a buttered 9-inch pie pan. Chill.

Spry Water Whip Pie Crust

Makes two 9-inch pies or one 2-crust pie.

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons Spry (vegetable shortening)
1/4 cup boiling water
1 tablespoon milk
2 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt

Put Spry into medium mixing bowl. Add boiling water and milk and break up Spry with fork. Tilt bowl and whip with fork or mixer until smooth and thick like whipped cream and holds soft peaks when fork is lifted.

Sift flour and salt together into Spry mixture. Stir quickly with round-the-bowl strokes, until dough clings together and cleans the bowl.

Pick up and work into a smooth dough; shape into 2 flat rounds. Roll in between wax paper or on floured pastry cloth or board.

Lemon Nut Cookie Crust

Makes 1 (9-inch pie crust).

20 Pepperidge Farm Lemon Nut Cookies
    (to yield about 1 1/2 cups crumbs)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the cookies in the work bowl of a food processor and process them until they are finely ground.

Combine the crumbs, butter, lemon zest, salt and vanilla extract in a medium-size mixing bowl and stir until the crumbs are moistened.

Press the mixture evenly across the bottom of a 9-inch pie plate and all the way up the sides of the pan, packing it tightly with your fingertips so it is even and compacted.

Bake the crust until it is golden and crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Let it cool completely before filling it. (The crust may be wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen for up to 1 month.)

Sour Cream Pie Crust

3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup butter or margarine
8 ounces sour cream

Combine ingredients in food processor and mix only until ball first forms, about 10 seconds. Roll out two or three times for pie pan. For baked shell, freeze 10 minutes then bake for 6 minutes at 425 degrees F with shell lined with foil and filled with beans or rice. After 6 minutes, remove foil and bake 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on wire rack.