This is one of my oldest, most treasured, full of love recipes and still a huge seller here at Pure Joy. I got it over 30 years ago from the Grandmother of a Fireman named Patrick. He was a big, hunk of a guy and he was in love with this pie and is sadly no longer with us but every time we make this pie I think of him and how much his grandmother loved feeding him. I fell in love with it too and so have thousands of other folks I’ve made it for over the years. It’s super quick & simple to make and - trust me - the crowd goes wild. Lots of our brides & grooms have pie stations instead of cake, like the one above that we did for Lissa Lawrence and Nicholas Booth, so I can say it’s been a shared first bite of many newly wedded Pure Joy Couples too.
RECIPE
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
3 tbl. melted butter
1 pinch salt
.75 cup sugar
11 oz. cream cheese, softened to room temperature
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
1 ½ tbl. sugar
1 stp. vanilla extract
10 oz berries to top it off (or you can make a sauce with them see below)
Ok, honestly I use this vanilla paste from Madagascar - it’s off the hook but vanilla extract is just fine. for the crust; mix the crumbs, butter, sugar & salt & press into a regular pie tin. Don’t par bake it. Beat the softened cream cheese with the sugar, add the eggs & vanilla and beat it in. Pour it in the crust & bake 30 minutes or so at 325 degrees. Let it cool 10 minutes. Then you can refrigerate it OR If you want a lovely berry topping baked on it; boil 10 ounces of slightly mashed berries with a heaping tablespoon of cornstarch & a teaspoon of sugar for a few minutes, top the finished pie with it & bake it 8 minutes more. Either way let it set in the frig at least 5 hours before serving it.
Love,
Lynette La Mere, Pure Joy Catering, Executive Chef