Berry Cheesecake Pie
I usually eat only the filling of pie, but that changed when I discovered this recipe. It boasts a luscious cheesecake flavor and gets creative with phyllo dough.
I usually eat only the filling of pie, but that changed when I discovered this recipe. It boasts a luscious cheesecake flavor and gets creative with phyllo dough.
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- 8 sheets phyllo dough 14 inches x 9 inches
- 6 tablespoons butter melted
- 16 oz cream cheese softened
- 2 cups fresh blueberries or frozen
- 1/2 cup strawberry jelly
- 1 cup whipped topping
- sliced fresh strawberries and additional blueberries, optional
- Carbohydrate 27.8110196402119 g
- Cholesterol 183.301726106414 mg
- Fat 41.6219724801193 g
- Fiber 1.50755560574405 g
- Protein 7.64499611410121 g
- Saturated Fat 23.8171783269989 g
- Serving Size 1 1 - (202g)
- Sodium 5045.46826447718 mg
- Sugar 26.3034640344678 g
- Trans Fat 4.9488231609827 g
- Calories 508 calories
Step-by-step
- Place one phyllo sheet in a greased 9-in. pie plate; brush with butter. Repeat seven times; trim edges. (Keep remaining phyllo covered with plastic wrap and a damp towel to prevent it from drying out.)
- Bake at 425° for 6-8 minutes or until edges are lightly browned (center will puff up). Cool on a wire rack.
- For filling, in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Fold in blueberries. Spoon into crust.
- Bake at 350° for 10 minutes; cover edges with foil to prevent overbrowning. Bake 23-27 minutes longer or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate until chilled.
- In a small bowl, beat jelly until smooth; spread over filling. Spread with whipped topping. Garnish with strawberries and additional blueberries if desired.
Phyllo dough demands strict moisture control because exposed paper-thin sheets dry out within minutes and shatter uselessly into brittle flakes. Keeping the stack shielded beneath a damp towel overlaid with plastic wrap prevents this rapid dehydration while you brush successive layers with melted butter. Brushing fat between every single sheet creates microscopic steam pockets that force the pastry apart during baking at 425 degrees Fahrenheit, yielding a shatteringly crisp shell instead of a dense, greasy paste.
Cream cheese must be fully softened to room temperature before mixing, otherwise stubborn lumps will persist even after aggressive whipping. Incorporating eggs requires low mixer speed just until combined to avoid beating excess air into the batter, which causes the surface to inflate dramatically in the oven and subsequently crack upon cooling. Monitoring the internal structure until the center remains just slightly jiggle-prone ensures a velvety texture rather than a chalky, overbaked density.
Straining or melting jelly until entirely smooth before application guarantees an even glaze layer that seals the fruit without tearing the delicate dairy base underneath. Chilling the assembled dessert for at least two hours firms the dairy fats sufficiently to hold clean slices when portioned with a sharp knife dipped in hot water between cuts. Storing leftovers in an airtight container prevents the crisp pastry edges from absorbing ambient refrigerator humidity and turning soggy within twenty-four hours.
Pairing this rich, dense pastry with an unsweetened herbal infusion or a tart citrus beverage cuts through the heavy fat load of the dairy and butter. Such high-acid additions cleanse the palate between bites by resetting taste buds saturated by concentrated milk proteins and sugars.
