No Roll Pie Crust

This no roll pie crust has been on my "must bake" list for, oh, forever. But since we don't make pies very frequently, I hadn't quite gotten around to it yet. And so it was that for this year's Pi Day Celebration we made this for not one, but two types of pie. And it was amazing. And easy.

Makes: One 9" pie crust

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
1/8 tsp baking powder
4 tbsp butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tbsp cream cheese, at room temperature
2 Tbsp cold milk

Directions
COMBINE flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar in a medium bowl
GRATE cold butter
ADD butter and cream cheese to dry ingredients
BLEND butter and cream cheese into dry ingredients with a pastry blender, fork, or your fingers

COMBINE milk and oil in a small bowl or measuring cup
WHISK

ADD to flour and butter mixture
BLEND with pastry blender or fork until all of the flour has been wetted
DUMP into pie plate (or tins of mini muffin pan)
USE your fingers to press dough against baking pan

For a prebaked crust...line the crust with foil, fill with beans or pie weights and bake at 350F for 10 minutes. Remove foil and beans and bake for another 5 minutes to brown.

Otherwise, bake according to your filling's instructions.

Enjoy!

My Thoughts
1. This crust is on the thicker side but still flaky and delicious.

2. The cream cheese gives it a nice sweetly tart flavor and serves as that "extra something" that elevates this beyond typical. (That and the amazing texture).

3. We used this for both Chocolate Cream Pie and Sweet Potato Pie. The flavor worked equally well with both. This is a clear winner for quick, easy, and awesome.

4. Like all press in crusts, this is only good for pies that do not require a top crust.