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Ube Cheesecake

Posted on August 3, 2014 by AnniesChamorroKitchen 106 comments

Who doesn’t love cheesecake? And for those of us who grew up in the islands, who doesn’t love ube-anything? If you haven’t tried ube, or taro, now’s the time.

While vacationing on Guam not too long ago, I went to a restaurant that featured a taro cheesecake as one of their signature desserts. It was to-die for! The cheesecake was rich, creamy, and topped with a crispy caramelized sugar topping that took this dessert to an entirely new level!

I decided then and there that I would try my hand at making this cheesecake. I decided to use steamed and puréed fresh purple yams instead of ube jam. Ube jam is good, don’t get me wrong; I just wanted to control the amount of sugar I put into the cheesecake and ube jam is already sweetened.

I’m forewarning you…this cheesecake takes a while to prepare. The mixing of the batter doesn’t take that long at all. There are, however, several steps in making this cheesecake, but it’s worth it in the end. The cooling process takes a very long time as well, about 4-6 hours, preferably overnight. But don’t let all that discourage you from giving my recipe a try. While there are a lot of steps, it’s a very easy recipe to make.

Give it a try and let me know how it turned out for you.

Ube Cheesecake

Make the Crust:

18 graham cracker squares
3 tablespoons white, granulated sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

This is a photo of graham cracker “squares.” Depending on the brand, some graham crackers are rectangular shaped. I used plain graham crackers for this recipe. I do not recommend using graham crackers that have sugar and cinnamon on them.

Break the squares into small pieces and place into a food processor.

Pulse until you get fine crumbs.

Pour the crumbs in a bowl, stir in the sugar, then fold in the melted butter.

Spread the crust mixture in the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.

Press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan and just slightly up the side. I use a measuring cup to press down on the crust to really compress it.

Bake for 15 minutes at 325 degrees, or until the crust turns a nice rich brown.

Make the Cheesecake Batter:

1 1/3 cups white granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 packages cream cheese, softened at room temperature
2 cups steamed and puréed purple yam, sweet potato, or sweet taro (about 1 large or 2 medium ones)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 large eggs
1 cup heavy cream

Cook the yams:

There are many ways to cook yams. You can roast them in your oven, bake, boil or steam them. I prefer to roast yams if I’m eating them by itself as part of my meal. However, for this recipe, I decided to steam them.

Fill a pot with just enough water so that the water does not touch the steam basket when it’s placed into the pot. Bring the water to a boil.

Wash the yams throughly. Use a dish scrubber to remove any dirt. Cut out any dark, rough spots.

Peel the yams. Cut the yams into large chunks.

Place the yams into the steamer basket then place the basket over the pot of boiling water.

Cover the pot and let the yams steam for 25-30 minutes. The yams are ready when they are tender when pierced with a fork.

Place the yams into a blender or food processor. Pulse until the yams are smooth and creamy. Set aside for now.

Make the Filling:

Before getting started on the filling, I need to say a word or two about the cream cheese…you really want to use full fat cream cheese in this recipe. Reduced fat cream cheese doesn’t bake well, especially in cheesecakes. I like Philadelphia brand cream cheese over other brands, but use the brand you like.

You’ll also notice I used heavy cream in my recipe instead of sour cream. The sour cream is traditionally used in recipes for New York style cheesecake, making for a tangier dessert. I didn’t want to overpower the yams so I opted for the milder heavy cream.

Alright, back to the filling. Whisk the sugar and salt together in a small bowl. Set aside.

Spread the puréed yam on a triple layer of paper towels. Place another triple layer of paper towels on top of the yam. Press down on the paper towels to soak up as much moisture as possible. If you don’t press out the liquid, your cheesecake will turn out too wet and you’ll end up with a fall-apart, mousse-like pie.

Because I steamed the yams rather than boiled them, there wasn’t that much water to squeeze out.

Place the softened cream cheese in a stand mixer on medium low speed; mix for a minute or two. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Mix 1/3 of the sugar mixture with the cheese. Mix on medium speed for a minute until the sugar is incorporated. Scrape down the bowl and paddle then add another 1/3 of the sugar. Mix again then scrape down the bowl and paddle. Add the remaining sugar; mix until creamy.

Add the pureed yam to the bowl, along with the vanilla extract. Mix on medium speed for a minute. Scrape the sides of the bowl again.

Add 3 eggs to the bowl, mix for a minute, scrape down the sides, then add the last 2 eggs, mix and scrape.

Add the heavy cream. Mix for another minute.

Bake the Cheesecake:

Pour the filling into the cooled crust.

I decided to bake this cheesecake in a water bath. This prevents the top of the cheesecake from cracking during baking. You could also place a pan filled with water in the rack beneath the cheesecake. If using a water bath, place two layers of foil beneath the springform pan. Wrap the foil around the sides of the pan. This keeps the water from the water bath from seeping into the pan.

Place the foil-covered springform pan into a large roasting pan.

Place the roasting pan with the cheesecake inside it into a pre-heated 325 degree oven. Pour hot water into the roasting pan (be sure to wait until AFTER you place the pan into the oven to pour in the hot water). The water should come about halfway up the side of the springform pan.

Bake for 1 1/2 hours. If you have a thermometer, take the temperature at the edge of the cheesecake to see if it is done. The cheesecake is done when the temperature reaches between 145 and 150 degrees. Or, do what I do and use the “jiggle method” to check for doneness. If you move the pan, the center of the cheesecake should move or jiggle only slightly. Too much jiggle in the middle means you need to cook it a bit longer (10-15 minutes should do it).

When the cheesecake is done, remove the roasting pan and cheesecake from the oven. CAUTION! Be very careful taking the pan out of the oven! You don’t want to spill hot water on yourself!! Leave the cheesecake in the pan of hot water for 1 hour before removing it from the roasting pan.

After an hour of cooling at room temperature, the cheesecake needs to now cool in the refrigerator. Cover the cheesecake with plastic wrap and chill for 4-6 more hours in the refrigerator; chilling overnight is even better.

NOTE: After chilling for just 4 hours, I cut a slice of the cheesecake. The middle was still a bit softer and creamier than the edges. It appeared that the cheesecake was underdone, but it was cooked the right amount of time. All I needed to do was refrigerate it for a few more hours (overnight cooling did the trick). In the morning, the cheesecake was PERFECTLY set.

Caramelized Sugar Topping:

4 tablespoons superfine sugar

Before serving, sprinkle the superfine sugar all over the top of the slice of cheesecake.

NOTE: 4 tablespoons of sugar covers the ENTIRE cheesecake. You’ll need about one teaspoon of sugar per slice.

If you can’t find superfine sugar at your grocery store, just blend regular white, granulated sugar for a minute or two until you get superfine granules.

Use a creme brûlée torch to melt and caramelize the sugar. Allow the caramelized sugar to harden then serve.

For presentation purposes (for pretty pictures 😉 ), I caramelized sugar on top of the entire cheesecake. However, I recommend you slice individual pieces of cheesecake BEFORE caramelizing sugar on top.

The melted sugar hardens and makes cutting clean slices a challenge if you caramelize sugar on top of the ENTIRE cheesecake rather than just one slice at a time.

Here’s a tip for an easy way to cleanly slice the cheesecake. Dip a knife (a carving knife works well since it has a narrow blade) into a glass or pitcher of very hot water. Dry off the knife before slicing.

Serve and ENJOY!

Ube Cheesecake

Save Print

Prep time

10 hours

Cook time

2 hours

Total time

12 hours

Author: Annie @ Annie's Chamorro Kitchen

Serves: 8 slices

Ingredients

Graham Cracker Crust:

18 plain graham cracker squares
3 tablespoons white, granulated sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Cheesecake Batter:

1⅓ cups white granulated sugar
½ teaspoon salt
2 packages cream cheese, softened at room temperature
2 cups steamed and puréed purple yam, sweet potato, or sweet taro (about 1 large or 2 medium ones)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 large eggs
1 cup heavy cream

Caramelized Sugar Topping:

4 tablespoons superfine sugar

Instructions

Make the Graham Cracker Crust:

Break the graham crackers into small pieces and place in a food processor. Pulse until you get fine crumbs.
Place the crumbs into a small mixing bowl. Stir in the sugar, then fold in the melted butter.
Spread the crumb mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Press the crumbs evenly on the bottom and slightly up the sides of the pan.
Bake for 15 minutes at 325 degrees F, or until the crust is a rich brown color. Set aside to cool.

Make the Cheesecake Batter:

If you’re using fresh yams (you can use frozen), peel then cut into cubes. Steam for 25-30 minutes or until soft through the middle. Place the steamed yams in a food process; pulse until the yams are smooth and creamy. Place the puréed yams in between several paper towels; press firmly to squeeze out as much water as possible. Set aside while you make the filling.
Whisk the sugar and salt together in a small bowl. Set aside.
Add the cream cheese to a large mixing bowl. Mix on medium low until creamy. Add the sugar-salt mixture to the cream cheese in thirds. Mix after each addition until creamy.
Add the puréed yams and vanilla extract to the cream cheese mixture. Mix on medium speed for a minute, until the yams are just incorporated with the cream cheese.
Add 3 eggs to the mixing bowl; mix for a minute then add the remaining 2 eggs. Mix for a minute.
Add the heavy cream to the mixing bowl; mix for another minute.

Cook the Cheesecake:

Pour the batter into the cooled crust.
Wrap the bottom of the springform pan with two sheets of aluminum foil. Place the pan into a large roasting pan. Place the roasting pan into the oven. Pour hot water into the roasting pan, adding enough water to fill to halfway up the side of the springform pan.
Bake in an oven preheated to 325 degrees F for 90 minutes (1½ hours). The cheesecake should measure between 145 and 150 degrees F when done, and the middle should jiggle slightly.
Remove the roasting pan from the oven (CAUTION! BE CAREFUL NOT TO SPILL ANY HOT WATER WHILE TAKING THE ROASTING PAN OUT OF THE OVEN!).
Leave the cheesecake in the pan of hot water for 1 hour before removing it from the roasting pan. After that hour, cover the cheesecake (still in the springform pan) with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Serve the Cheesecake:

Slice the cheesecake into pieces.
Sprinkle superfine sugar over individual pieces, about 1 teaspoon per slice. Use a cooking blow torch to melt and caramelize the sugar.
Serve and enjoy!

Posted in Christmas, DESSERTS, Easter, HOLIDAY MENU, Pies

Rich and Creamy Custard Pie

Posted on June 6, 2014 by AnniesChamorroKitchen 23 comments

Rich, creamy, sweet and luscious Custard Pie…are you drooling yet?

Egg custard pie is so easy to make. Chances are you already have most of the ingredients in your refrigerator and pantry, so why not bake up one of these sweet and creamy pies for your dessert tonight?

This is not a pie that is a bake-and-eat option. Because it’s a baked custard, you must let the pie fully set (cool) before serving. Therefore, if you want this for your dessert after dinner, I advise making this pie in the morning or early afternoon (or even the night before).

I’ve tried many recipe variations for custard pie, most of which are good, but I wanted a really creamy filling. Some recipes I’ve tried included butter in the custard filling — this is not necessary at all. Other recipes I’ve tried use variations of milk — skim, low-fat, or whole milk. I found that using rich heavy cream or half-and-half makes a custard filling that is out-of-this-world rich and creamy, just what I want in a custard pie! My recipe below uses half-and-half.

I’ve also used store-bought/ready-made pie crusts before. I am very picky about my pie crusts. Most commercial brands taste too bland for me. It’s so easy to make homemade pie crusts, so why buy the pre-made stuff? I include a recipe for homemade pie crust as well. Give it a try, but if you prefer the packaged kind, I recommend you still pre-bake (also called blind-baking) the crust before baking the custard.

One note about the pie crust and filling — my recipe below makes enough for one DEEP-DISH, 9-inch pie. Make sure you use a deep dish pie plate (or buy a deep dish pie crust) when making this recipe or you’ll have leftover pie dough and filling that you’ll end up throwing out (it would be a shame to waste your ingredients).

Give my recipe a try. I think you’ll like it. 🙂

Rich and Creamy Custard Pie

Ingredients:

Pie Crust:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 stick COLD unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup ICE-COLD water

Custard Filling:

3 cups half-and-half
3/4 cup sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt

Other Items:

1 9-inch deep dish pie pan
Dried, uncooked beans (any kind), about 3 cups
Parchment paper

Directions:

MAKE THE CRUST:

1. In a large mixing bowl, place the flour, sugar, salt, and butter.

2. Stir the ingredients together briefly, just enough to mix the flour, sugar and salt together. Use a dough cutter (or you can use a food processor) to “cut” the butter into the flour. You want to see very small pieces of butter (about the size of a pea).

3. Pour the ice water over the flour mixture, starting with 1/4 cup of ice water. Gently mix the water into the flour, forming a shaggy, loose dough. Add more water, a spoonful at a time, until the dough comes together. You should not need more than 1/2 cup of ice water.

This is what it looks like after the initial mixing of water and flour. You can still see some dry bits at the bottom of the bowl, but this is the perfect consistency — you do not need any more water at this point.

Give it another minute or so of kneading and the dough will come together.

4. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to rest for at least 15 minutes. I actually place my dough in the freezer. Don’t worry — the dough won’t freeze solid. The goal is to get the butter very cold again (since the butter softened during the mixing process). You want to still see chunks of butter when you roll out the dough and eventually bake it. During the baking process, the melting butter creates steam, which is what makes your dough nice and flaky.

5. After 15 minutes, remove the dough from the refrigerator (or freezer). Place the dough between two large sheets of parchment paper.

6. Roll the dough into a circle, about 1/8 inch thick and two inches larger in diameter than the width of your pie pan. Turn the pie pan upside down on top of the parchment paper to measure.

7. To place the dough in the pie pan, remove one sheet of parchment paper. Turn the pie pan upside down over the dough. Carefully slide your hand beneath the parchment paper and flip the dough and pie pan right-side-up. Gently push the dough down into the pie pan.

8. Carefully peel the parchment paper off the dough (save the paper for use later). Push the dough into the sides of the pan (and pinch the dough to close any holes), if necessary.

9. Trim off some of the dough around the edge, leaving a little bit of dough hanging over the side. Use whatever method you like to flute the edge of the dough. I just use my fingertips to create a fluted edge like you see below.

10. It’s time to blind-bake the pie crust. Pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees. Place one sheet of parchment paper inside the pie pan. Place the dried beans over the parchment paper. I like to place my dried beans in oven cooking bags; this way I can reuse the beans the next time I bake a pie.

11. Bake the pie crust for 15 minutes then remove it from the oven. Remove the beans and parchment paper and return the pie crust to the oven to bake for 5 more minutes.

12. During the last 5 minutes of baking, the bottom of the pie crust will very likely bubble up. Do not panic. After you remove the crust from the oven, immediately (but very gently) push down on the bubble to release the steam. The bottom of the pie crust will flatten again once all of the steam is released.

Set the pre-baked crust aside while you prepare the custard filling.

MAKE THE FILLING:

1. Decrease your oven temperature to 350 degrees.

In a small mixing bowl, place the sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and salt. Use a hand mixer on low speed (or a whisk) to mix the ingredients together; mix for a couple of minutes only. Do not over-mix or your resulting custard will turn out grainy.

2. In a separate microwave-safe bowl, heat the half-and-half in the microwave on high for two minutes. Mix the hot half-and-half — 1/2 cup at a time — into the egg mixture. DO NOT add the hot liquid all at once or you will end up scrambling your egg mixture! Adding the hot liquid a little at a time tempers the egg mixture. Continue mixing in the hot liquid, a little at a time, until all the liquid is mixed with the egg mixture.

BAKE THE PIE:

1. Place your oven rack in the bottom half of your oven. Place a baking pan in the oven, then place the un-filled and pre-baked pie crust on top of the baking pan.

Carefully pour the filling mixture into the pie crust. Be careful not to touch the hot oven with your arms or hands as you pour the liquid into the pie crust.

I do it this way because the filling will come to the very brim of the pie crust — it is much easier doing it like this than trying to fill the crust outside of the oven, then carrying the full crust to the oven without spilling it (yeah, that’s a mess waiting to happen). 😉

2. Bake the pie for a total of 50 minutes. After 40 minutes, if you need to, wrap a piece of foil (or use a pie shield) around the edge of the pie (to prevent the crust from burning or browning too much). Bake for 10 more minutes then remove the pie from the oven.

The pie will be jiggly still when you take it out of the oven. It will look something like jello, with the top surface of the pie rippling as you gently shake it. You may think the pie is under-cooked, but TRUST ME, it is DONE. Resist the urge to bake it longer.

You really don’t want to over-bake custard pies. Have you ever had custard pies that tasted way too much like eggs? That’s due to OVER-BAKING the custard — a real no-no.

3. Now comes the hard part. You MUST let the pie cool at room temperature for at least 2 or 3 hours before cutting into it. As the pie cools, the filling is still “cooking.” The pie will set (firm up) once completely cooled.

Ideally, after cooling at room temperature for a few hours, you want to refrigerate the pie another hour or so to finish cooling and allow the pie to set fully.

Of course, after the requisite 3 hours of room-temperature cooling, I just could NOT wait to eat this pie. I went ahead and cut a small slice — to give it a taste test, you see. As our family’s resident home chef, I just HAD to ensure this pie was fit for consumption! And it was. 🙂

As you can see, the pie is mostly set at this point, but another hour or longer of cooling in the refrigerator will be better.

This is the pie after cooling in the refrigerator overnight. Make sure the pie is completely cooled at room temperature before placing in the refrigerator or else condensation will collect on the top of the pie as it cools in the fridge. If that happens, don’t worry — just use a paper towel to soak up any accumulated condensation on top of the pie.

This makes the BEST breakfast!

Serve up a slice — or two — and ENJOY!

Posted in Christmas, DESSERTS, Easter, HOLIDAY MENU, Pies, Thanksgiving

Månha Pie

Posted on May 31, 2014 by AnniesChamorroKitchen 17 comments

This has got to be my most favorite Chamorro dessert! For non-Chamorro-speaking friends, månha means the sweet, tender meat of the young, green coconut.

My recipe makes 6 — yes, SIX — pies, but in my family, we eat one or two when they’re done, save another two for breakfast, then give two to family members. So, really, six is NOT ENOUGH. 😉

If you make this for a party, then six pies really won’t be enough! Two might end up on the dessert table and the rest will be “set aside” for påtte (sharing or distributing amongst family) later! 🙂

My recipe uses “regular” pie crusts, not the deep-dish ones. If you use ready-made deep-dish pie shells/crusts, you can probably make this into four pies instead of six.

I usually only make månha pie when I’m visiting Guam, and that’s because I prefer to use fresh månha. You can used canned månha and juice, however.

It takes a while to make these pies, but the end result is worth every minute you spend slaving over the hot stove.

Give my recipe a try. I know you’ll love it! 🙂

Månha Pie

Ingredients:

Filling:

3 cups månha juice
2 cups chopped månha
1 stick butter
1 cup sugar
2 cans (12 oz) evaporated milk
2 cans (12 oz) water (use the milk cans)
6 large egg yolks
½ box cornstarch
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup water

Meringue:

6 large egg whites
1 1/2 cups superfine or granulated sugar

Additional ingredients for making Meringue in High Altitude areas: (see NOTE below)

2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup water

Other ingredients:

6 “regular” 9-inch pie crusts (or 4 deep dish pie crusts), pre-baked
1 egg plus 1 tablespoon water, beaten together

Directions:

1. Pre-bake the pie crusts; this is also called “blind baking”:

If your pie crusts are frozen, remove all packaging material and place the crusts at room temperature until they are completely thawed.

Heat your oven to 400 degrees.

Pierce the bottom and sides of each crust with a fork. This keeps air pockets or bubbles from forming during baking.

Line each crust with heavy-duty aluminum foil. If you don’t have heavy-duty foil, just double regular foil. Make sure the foil covers the entire bottom of the crust and up the sides.

Fill the foil with pie weights (I just use dried beans). Use enough dried beans to fill the pie crust at least halfway up the sides.

Bake for 10-12 minutes. The pie crust should be a pale brown. Remove from the oven.

To prevent your crusts from getting soggy after baking the pies, brush with egg wash (the egg mixed with water) and return to the oven to bake for an additional 3 minutes. Remove from the oven; set aside.

Save the dried beans for the next time you blind-bake pie crusts.

2. Make the Meringue (low-altitude areas):

TIP: Make the meringue first then prepare the filling. Place meringue on the HOT filling (the hot filling will start cooking the meringue, keeping it from shrinking too much during baking). When topping the filling, ensure you push the meringue all the way to the edge of the pie crust; this “seals” the meringue to the edge of the pie. Using a stainless steel or glass bowl (ensure the bowl is completely dry before putting in the egg whites), beat the egg whites at medium-high speed until soft peaks form.

Once soft peaks have formed, gradually add the sugar, a few spoonfuls at a time, beating the entire time. Keep beating on high speed until stiff peaks form. The peaks are stiff enough when the tips stand straight (don’t droop over) when the beaters are lifted. Once you start beating the egg whites, do not stop in the middle of the process or your meringue won’t form properly.

Spoon the meringue over the hot pie filling.

Make the Meringue (high-altitude areas):

*NOTE: I live in a very high altitude area (approximately 6,300 feet above sea level). If you live in an area with high elevation, prepare your meringue as follows in order for the meringue not to turn out weepy after baking.

In a microwave-safe bowl, mix together the sugar, cornstarch, salt and water. Microwave for two minutes on max power. Stir once more then set the mixture aside to cool.

Beat the egg whites as directed above, until soft peaks form. Gradually pour the cooled cornstarch mixture into the bowl of egg whites, beating on high speed as you pour. Continue to beat the mixture until stiff peaks form. Cover the pie filling as directed above.

3. Make the Filling:

Place juice, månha, butter, and sugar in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the evaporated milk and water; stir and bring to a boil.

Mix the egg yolks, cornstarch, vanilla extract, and ½ cup water in a bowl. Add the egg yolk mixture to the månha mixture and cook until the mixture thickens, whisking constantly to prevent lumps from forming. The combined ingredients should thicken before it begins to boil. Cook a few minutes more then remove from the heat.

Pour two cups of the mixture into each prepared (baked) pie crust (or three cups if you are using deep dish pie shells).

4. Bake the meringue and serve:

Top the hot filling with meringue, making sure to cover the pie filling all the way to the edge of the crust. Use a small spoon to make decorative meringue swirls before baking.

Bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes or until the meringue is golden brown. If you’re in a hurry, bake at 450 degrees for 7-8 minutes, but then the meringue won’t turn out as “dry” as when you bake it longer at a lower temperature (it’ll still turn out delicious, though).

Let the pies cool then serve and ENJOY!

TIP: To make clean slices through the meringue, dip your knife in cold water before slicing the pie.

Refrigerate any uneaten pie (WHAAAT??? — uneaten pie??? Trust me, this pie will get eaten). 😉

Posted in CHAMORRO DISHES, DESSERTS, Fina' Mames (Chamorro Desserts), Pies

Mandarin Delight Pie

Posted on February 5, 2014 by AnniesChamorroKitchen Leave a comment

I first tried this pie years and years ago, when one of my sisters made it for our family. It’s since been one of our favorite desserts. It’s quick and easy to make; in fact, if you’re looking for something delicious to make for dessert, add this to your menu. It’s a delicious dessert to take to potlucks too!

For a low-calorie / lightened version of this recipe, use a low-fat crust, fat-free cream cheese, low-fat or fat-free sour cream, lite Cool Whip, sugar-free pudding mix, and mandarin oranges packed in juice instead of syrup.

Give my recipe a try. I think you’ll like it. 🙂

Mandarin Delight Pie

Ingredients:

1 graham cracker pie crust
1 package (8‑oz) cream cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 small tub (8‑oz) of Cool Whip
1 small (3.4 oz) packages of French Vanilla instant pudding mix
2 cans (15‑oz) mandarin oranges (reserve 1/2 cup of the liquid; drain the rest)

Directions:

1. Heat your oven to 250 degrees. Place the graham cracker crust into the COLD oven, at the same time you turn it on to pre-heat. (In the time it takes to pre-heat your oven, the crust is toasting.) Once the oven reaches 250 degrees, take the crust out of the oven. You should smell the toasting crust by this time– when you start to smell the crust as it bakes, it’s probably ready to take out of the oven. Remove the crust from the oven. Let the pie crust cool completely before adding the filling.

2. In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth and creamy.

3. Mix in the sour cream.

4. Mix in the cool whip.

5. Add the instant pudding and 1/2 cup reserved mandarin juice to the cream cheese mixture. Mix well, or just until the mixture is smooth and creamy.

5. Spread half of the cream cheese filling into the pie crust. It should just come halfway up the side of the crust. Layer one can of mandarin over the filling.

6. Gently spread the remaining filling over the mandarin. Layer the second can of mandarin over the top of the filling.

7. Refrigerate the pie for at least 30 minutes to allow the filling to set. Slice, serve, and ENJOY!

Try my recipe for Blueberry Cheesecake too! 🙂

Posted in DESSERTS, Healthy Alternatives ~ Recipes, Pies tagged with Fruit

Blueberry Cheesecake

Posted on February 5, 2014 by AnniesChamorroKitchen One comment

Blueberry Cheesecake is among the many go-to desserts I make because it’s quick and easy to prepare, not to mention DELICIOUS. 🙂

With only 4 ingredients, you can whip this up in minutes. The only hard part is waiting for the filling to set as it chills in the refrigerator.

This is a great dessert to bring to potlucks too. Make it the night before and you don’t have to worry about cooking anything the next day (bonus!).

Give my recipe a try. I think you’ll like it. 🙂

Blueberry Cheesecake

Ingredients:

1 ready-made graham cracker pie crust

8 oz. cream cheese, softened at room temperature

12 oz. Cool Whip Whipped Topping

1 can blueberry (extra fruit) pie filling

Directions:

Place the pie crust into a COLD oven. Pre-heat your oven to 250 degrees. As the oven heats up, the pie crust is toasting and getting nicely browned. As soon as the oven reaches 250 degrees, turn it off and take the pie crust out of the oven. Let the crust cool completely.

This photo shows two crusts — I baked one for Blueberry Cheesecake and the other for my Mandarin Pie (see Desserts for that delicious recipe).

While the crust is cooling, make the filling.

Place the softened cream cheese into a mixing bowl.

Using a hand mixer, mix the cream cheese until creamy.

Add the Cool Whip to the mixing bowl.

Mix the Cool Whip and cream cheese until creamy.

Scoop the cream cheese mixture into the cooled pie crust, coming to about 1/2 inch from the top of the crust (you want to leave some room for the blueberry filling).

Top the cream cheese mixture with the blueberry filling.

Yum! Don’t you want to dig right in?

You can eat this right away, but it’s better if you let the filling set up a bit. Cover the cheesecake with the plastic lid that comes with the crust. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (an hour or two is even better) then slice, serve, and ENJOY!

Want a fork? 😀

Be sure to check out my recipe for Mandarin Pie!

Posted in Pies tagged with Fruit

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