My first Cheese Cake was a.. “Cream Cheese Pie”…

The Warm Cream Cheese Pie

I was working at the Children’s Hospital, Hematology Research Laboratory, as a Medical Technologist in Los Angeles, California…..when Max Fields, a co-technologist came that morning and brought   a “Cream Cheese Pie” for all of us to taste.   He said he found the recipe in one of the magazines that advertized Philadelphia Cream Cheese.  It was 1967.   With the first bite of this Cream Cheese Pie….I was hooked.  On the way home from work I bought the ingredients and made that delectable dessert to treat my parents with an after dinner desert.

I have made this desert many, many times since…but, the first time I made it my parents asked me to make it on the weekend since we were having dinner guests who were “American” and thought that they would love to see that we are on the way to integrate into American life…You see we had come to the US  a few years pryer and most of our friends had been other refugees  from Europe.  This particular couple had us over to their house and we wanted to reciprocate their kindness by having them come to dinner to our home.   The husband was full of praise for my mother’s cooking and could not say enough about the “cream cheese pie” when his wife got terribly upset and jealous and created a scene at the table by accusing him not ever telling her that her dinners were outstanding as well… You can imagine how we felt…and the dinner ended badly and sadly ended our beginning friendship with an American couple. We never saw them again.

Then a few years after that unfortunate experience, I married and we moved to Baltimore, Maryland.   Our son was in middle school when we sponsored  five Japanese La Cross players.  They were the same age as our son and were wonderful young boys.   They were to stay with us about a week or so. The second day I asked how they liked the food that they were having at school when they reluctantly told us that they did not like what they were getting at the cafeteria.  So I cooked them a big pot of rice….they devoured it in five minutes…then I thawed some chicken soup….which they drank right out of the bowls…and that too was gone in less then five minutes. I told them that I would make some dessert for them after they got their showers.

I got the cream cheese out of the refrigerator…luckily I had some bought graham cracker crusts in the pantry…and whipped up the OLD CREAM CHEESE PIE.

It takes only about 30 to 40 minutes to bake.  I was just taking the pies out of the oven when the boys came down to the kitchen all clean and smiling. They were ready for the dessert, and could not wait to have them cooled down.

They ate the pies within minutes and their smiles became even brighter. They loved it….I did mange to get a bite and discovered that it was even more delicious warm than when it is served cold.  I also do not add the sour cream topping…my “Cream Cheese Pies” are simple and baked until they are slightly browned and cracked on top.

Two years ago  I made them for the….

Annual Garden Club Luncheon!

Here is the original recipe for the….

 Cream Cheese Pie

The Graham Cracker Crust

1 cup of Graham Cracker crumbs

3-4 Tbsp Butter – melted

Mix the crackers and butter together

add some Cinnamon to the mixture

Line a 9 inch pie pan with the Graham crackers mixture and bake it approximately 10 minutes at 350 F

Cream Cheese Filling

4- 3 oz packages of Philadelphia Cream Cheese

1/2 cup sugar

Cream mixture until fluffy and smooth

Add 2 eggs – one at a time and mix until well blended

Add 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Pour this mixture into the baked Graham Cracker crust and bake the pie at 350 F for about 20 minutes

Sour Cram Topping

1 small carton of Sour Cram

add 2 Tbsp of sugar

Mix them thoroughly and spread the mixture on to the pie and bake at 500 F  for about 5 minutes

Let the pie cool to room temperature…then cool it completely in the refrigerator over night…and serve it with Cherry pie filling

And here is my version of the…

Cream Cheese Pie!

I usually buy a prepared Graham Cracker Crust in a foil pan at the store….and make the filling with a little more cheese, more eggs and more sugar than the original recipe calls for.  Also I do not make the Sour Cream topping….and I serve it still warm with a dusting of powdered sugar.   The Cherry pie filling…is intensified with a tsp or so of either rum or brandy….which enhances  every bite with an extraordinary flavor and delectable experience.

Cream Cheese Mixture

2 – 8 oz packages of Philadelphia Cream cheese

1 cup of sugar

Cram this mixture together until light and smooth

Add 3 large eggs …one at a time and mix until completely blended

Add 1 tsp of Vanilla Extract

Add 1 tsp of Almond Flavoring

Mix all the ingredients well and pour into a prepared Graham Cracker crust.

Bake in a preheated oven at 350 F….for about 40 minutes or until the top begins to rise and brown and shows several cracks around the edges.

The cracks and puffed top will settle down as the pie cools.

Serve it when it  still warm….warmer than room temperature…with a little Cherry Pie filling…that has had some Brandy or Rum added to it…and  a dusting of powdered sugar….

Hope you enjoy this desert as much as I do.

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Copyright: Maria Reisz Springer……..

Maja’s Kitchen….

http://www.majaskitchen.com

maria@majaskitchen.com

http://www.culinaryhalloffame.com/

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When did you start making….

Cheese Cakes…or Cream Cheese Pies?