Dough

This recipe was created to prepare <epi:recipeLink ="14257">Miniature Olive Focaccias with Marinated Peppers</epi:recipeLink>.

This pie crust is light, flaky tender and very crisp. It has a glorious butter flavor and is an ideal container for any pie or tart recipe. I strongly recommend commercial or homemade pastry flour, as it will result in a more tender crust than one made with all-purpose flour.

This dough can also be formed into crescent shapes and coated with confectioners' sugar while still warm, as is done in many eastern European countries.

This is my favorite pie crust. It took several years and over fifty tries to get it just right and is the soul of this book. It is unlike any other cream cheese pie crust because, in addition to being tender, it is also flaky. In fact, it is very similar in texture to epi:recipeLink="101858"Basic Flaky Pie Crust</epi:recipeLink> � almost as flaky but a little softer and more tender, and it browns more when baked, resulting in a rich golden color. The addition of cream cheese makes it even easier to prepare than basic flaky pie crust because you never have to guess how much water to add, and it gives it a flavor so delicious it is great to eat just by itself without filling! It is well worth purchasing or making pastry flour, as it will result in a more tender crust.

Perfect for almost any dessert pie.

Makes enough for a 13-inch tart shell.

This recipe is an accompaniment for Passion Fruit Tart. This pastry is ideal for making custard and fruit tarts. It can be made in advance and will keep in the refrigerator for a week. It also freezes well. The recipe yields one 28 cm (10-inch) tart case or several smaller ones.

Use this recipe to prepare Brandied Date and Walnut Pie, Pineapple, Apricot and Cranberry Lattice-Crust Pie, Spiced Pear and Raisin Pie, Toasted Almond Cream Pie with Boysenberry Topping, Apple and Tart Cherry Pie and Honey-Pecan Pumkin Pie.

Orecchiette (little ears) is a specialty of Apulia, in southeastern Italy. This recipe was created to accompany Orecchiette with Sausage and Red Pepper Sauce and Orecchiette with Red Wine Veal Sauce.

This recipe is an accompaniment for Peach Blackberry Pie . Try to roll out pie dough on a cold surface. If you have a little extra dough, roll it out and make a decorative cutout in the shape of a peach. Place it on the top of the pie.

This old-fashioned pastry dough makes a deliciously shortbread-like crust. This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

It's important not to try to halve this recipe. When you need only a half recipe of dough, as for the pains au chocolat, use the rest of the dough for a batch of Parma braids or a princess ring. Or make a double recipe of those irresistible chocolate croissants and share them with friends. One batch of this dough is enough for 24 plain croissants, 32 chocolate croissants, 16 Parma braids, or 2 princess rings.

This recipe was created to prepare Dried-Fruit Tart with Brandied Crème Anglaise .