Must-Try Pie & Cheesecake Recipes

by Jennifer Thayer

For July 4th and All Sumer Long

Ready for some sweet summer party inspiration? With July 4^th just around the corner and Labor Day here before you know it, families are scrambling to figure out what will be on the table after the barbecue has been cleared away. Think beyond the scoop! Here are two desserts you may not have considered: pie and cheesecake. Pie is an all American classic so it never goes out of style and cheesecake? Well, that’s the wildcard and you’ll see why later. Even so cheesecake is one of America’s favorite desserts, sharing the top ten slots with comfort foods like mom’s apple pie and ice cream (which incidentally, is very good on pie).

If you think pie is played out, think again. Surprise guests with these four unexpected takes on the archetypal summer dessert and you’ll have people trading pool party invites for the recipes.

• Ginger peach bourbon is a grownup version of the uber sweet summertime treat. It’s a little boozy, combining a ¼ cup of the strong stuff with 3 tablespoons corn starch, ½ teaspoon or more of fresh grated ginger, a splash of vanilla extract, 7 sliced peaches and 3 tablespoons brown sugar. Mix it, toss it in a butter crust, top with your favorite crumb topping recipe and bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Hint – stay on the safe side and make a plain peach pie for the kids.

• One trendy take on Americans’ favorite pie – apple – pairs the fruit with salted caramel. It starts life as a prepared butter crust and your favorite freshly-made apple pie filling (sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and of course, peeled and sliced apples) but takes it up a notch with homemade salted caramel that’s layered with the filling. Never made caramel? It’s surprisingly easy. Cook 1 cup sugar, ¼ cup water and 1 stick butter until it reaches a deep, golden brown color, then immediately add a ½ cup heavy cream and finally 1-2 teaspoons of high quality flaked sea salt. Gorgeous!

If you’re feeling daring, though, why not create your own signature pie flavor that speaks to your unique tastes? Favorite desserts like peanut butter sundaes and s’mores have been translated into pies – all it takes is a little creativity in the kitchen!

Now on to that cheesecake. Cheesecake as pie? Grab a graham cracker crust and if you’re not quite ready to call it pie, it’s at least easy as pie!

• First, spice up your summer parties with an unexpected out-of-season classic: pumpkin cheesecake. Kraft and Philadelphia created a pumpkin cheesecake recipe – in a pie crust – that will not only knock your socks off but also leave you with plenty of time to actually interact with your guests. While your oven is preheating, beat two packages of cream cheese, ½ cup pumpkin, ½ cup sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla, along with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, then gently mix in two beaten eggs. Pour that into your graham cracker crust and bake for 40 minutes. Note – the flavor is best when it hangs out in the fridge overnight

• And if you’re craving something with a little more zing, you can turn pumpkin cheesecake into key lime cheesecake with a few simple subs. Instead of canned pumpkin, use 2 tablespoons key lime juice and swap out the pumpkin pie spices for 1 teaspoon of freshly grated lime zest. The baking time and temp stays the same. Again, this summery dessert is best when it gets a chance for all the flavors to deepen overnight

Happy baking … and eating!

About the Author: Jennifer Thayer is a technology writer from Southern California. She is passionate about exploring new ways technology can be used to make day-to-day tasks easier. Follow her on Twitter.

Bottom Photo Credit: pinkhippodesign