Cream Cheese Pie with Fruit
(courtesy of Gail Sande in Reno. Makes 1, 9-inch pie)
Prepared graham cracker crust (purchase ready-made version or use your favorite homemade recipe)
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon almond or vanilla extract
Pie topping (recipe below)
Mix cream cheese with powdered sugar and set aside. Whip cream until soft peaks form. Add almond or vanilla extract. Fold in cream cheese mixture. Pour into prepared graham cracker crust and chill. Top with fruit and glaze. Refrigerate 2 to 3 hours before serving.
For pie topping
1 large can mandarin oranges in light syrup, drained (reserve juice)
1½ teaspoons corn starch
Assorted fresh fruit (Sande likes to use fresh kiwi, strawberries, and blueberries.)*
Heat reserved juice from mandarin oranges. Mix cornstarch with small amount of water until dissolved, then stir into heated juice. Continue stirring until thickened. Let cool and brush over fruit topping.
*Any combination of fruits will do. Sande likes to place the mandarin oranges around the outer perimeter of the pie. She then peels and slices kiwi and arranges slices in an overlapping line down the center of the pie. After hulling and slicing strawberries lengthwise, she arranges them in an overlapping line on both sides of the kiwi, leaving a half moon on either side to fill in with blueberries.
In a hurry? You can use canned cherry pie filling as a topping — no cutting, slicing, or glazing required!
