Cream Cheese Pastry New York Times Magazine, December 16, 1998 Amanda Hesser Yield: enough pastry for a 14-inch galette 8 Tbsp. (1 stick) unsalted butter 1⅓ cups plus 4 tsp. pastry flour ¼ tsp. salt 3 ounces cream cheese 1½ Tbsp. ice water 1½ tsp. cider vinegar Cut the butter into ¾-inch cubes. Wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for 30 minutes. Place the flour and salt in a large freezer bag and freeze for 30 minutes. Place the flour mixture in a food processor and process for a few seconds to combine. Cut the cream cheese into 3 or 4 pieces, add to the flour, and process for 20 seconds. Add the frozen butter and pulse until none of the butter pieces are larger than a pea. Add the water and vinegar and pulse until the butter is the size of small peas. (The mixture will not hold together.) Spoon the mixture into a freezer bag. Knead it in the bag until it holds together in one piece and feels slightly stretchy. Remove from the bag, wrap in plastic wrap, and flatten into a disk. Refrigerate for at least 45 minutes, or preferably overnight. NOTE: for a good appetizer using cream cheese pastry try Anchovy Twists Cream Cheese or Viennese Pastry James Beard's American Cookery 2 cups all-purpose flour ½ tsp. salt 1 cup butter or margarine 2 3-ounce packages cream cheese (at room temperature) Put the flour in a mixing bowl and stir in the salt. Cut in the butter or margarine and cream cheese to form a soft dough. Chill if it seems too soft to roll satisfactorily. Roll out very thin. Use only half the dough at a time when making small tarts or appetizer shells, for it is rich and becomes very soft in a warm kitchen. Fit the dough into tart pans or flan rings. Bake in a preheated 375o to 400o oven until a very light brown. The baking time will depend on the thickness of the dough.

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