Pat-in-Pan Pie Dough

1 1/4 cup flour
2 TBSP sugar
1/4 tsp salt
8 TBSP (1 stick) butter, softened but still cool
2 oz. cream cheese, softened, but still cool

Lightly spray 9-inch pie pan with Pam. Whisk flour, sugar, and salt together. Set aside.

Beat butter and cream cheese together at med-high speed, stopping twice to scrape down bowl and beater. You want the butter and cream cheese to be completely blended together. Add flour mixture and beat at med-low speed for about 20 seconds or until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Scrape down sides of bowl, then increase mixer speed to med-high until large clumps start to form (about 30 seconds).

Reserve 3 TBSP of dough. Press dough evenly over the bottom of the pie plate and up the sides. Roll reserved dough into a 12-inch rope. Divide into 3 pieces and roll each piece into a rope about 8 inches long and form fluted edge around top of pie crust. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly prick bottom of crust with fork. Bake until golden brown, 35-40 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

Recipe from August 2006 Cook's Country magazine