Light & Luscious Cherry & Cream Cheese Cream Cheese Pie

Cherries top this whipped cream cheese
mousse in a cookie style crust.

Ingredients:
4 cups fresh (or frozen) pitted dark sweet (or tart red) cherries
2 tablespoons whiskey or Gran Marnier (optional)
1/4 teaspoon pure orange extract (optional)
1/2 cup fine Baker's sugar (1 cup if using tart cherries) *see notes
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 9 inch butter pastry crust (recipe follows)
3 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 envelope Dr. Oetker's "Whip It" (optional)

(Whip it helps whipped cream stay firm.)

Butter Pastry Crust:
1 cup unsifted all purpose flour
2 tablespoons Baker's sugar
6 tablespoons butter
1 egg yolk

Crust Method:
Preheat oven to 300*. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour and sugar. Cut in butter with two knives or a pastry blender. Continue to crumble the butter into the flour with your fingers until the mixture resembles crumbs and there are no large pieces of butter. Stir in the egg yolk with a fork until well blended, then work the dough with your hands until it forms a smooth, non crumbly ball. (The heat of your hands softens the butter and makes the dough stick together.) Press the dough into the bottom and sides of a 9 inch pie pan, pushing firmly to make an even layer.  
Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the pastry is lightly browned. Set aside to cool.

Filling Method:
Place the cherries in a saucepan over medium heat. Cover the pan. Heat the cherries, stirring often, for about 10 to 15 minutes, until they release their juices and come to a simmer. In a bowl, whisk together the sugar and cornstarch until thoroughly blended. Pour the mixture into the hot cherries. Simmer over low heat, for about 2 minutes, until the cherries and juice have thickened. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Beat together the cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Beat the heavy cream and "Whip It" until stiff peaks form. Carefully fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture. Spread the cream cheese mousse evenly into the cooled pastry crust. Spoon the cooled cherries evenly over the cream mixture. Chill thoroughly, 1 hour or longer, before serving. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Notes: 
In the USA, April 23rd is "National Cherry Cheesecake Day".  This lighter cream cheese pie is appropriate to serve on that day. (or any day)

Blackberries or Boysenberries may be substituted for the cherries.

Canned pie filling can be substituted for the home cooked berries.


**If you cannot find C & H , or another brand, of Baker's sugar at your grocery store, you can make your own, by placing in a food processor for several minutes. It should be processed until it is finer and a little powdery, somewhat like very fine sand.