Oh, hello! You’ve found the secret sweet spot to “Mamaw’s Famous Cherry Cheesecake Pie” recipe. Lucky you.
Here at B.Markova Cake we make everything from scratch using the fanciest, highest quality ingredients. We spend hours sifting flours, separating egg-whites from egg yolks, and whipping buttercreams. This pie, however, has none of that. Heck, you don’t even bake it. Even still, this pie has been a favorite in my hometown since before I was born. If Mamaw makes it for one occasion, she has to make two more for another (and Ishmel always gets his own). It’s what she’s known for and why we call it famous.
Mamaw possesses no fancy kitchen gadgets, rolling pins, or measuring cups. Her baking style is a product of being born a child of war combined with the instruction of 1950’s, convenience-style cookbooks. You won’t find croissants aux amandes or crème diplomat between layers of flaky puff pastry in her house. What you will find, though, is a home that smells of fresh garden harvests, holiday dinners, and warm brownies with wild black walnuts that she cured and cracked herself. You’ll find a never-ending-carousel of neighbors, cousins, grand to great-grand kids, and maybe even a farm kitten (if you’re lucky enough to catch one). You’ll find family baseball games in the front yard, ghost stories around a cast-iron stove, and laughter emanating through the screen door. You’ll find kisses on scraped knees, hugs so big you could melt, and goodbyes longer than the day itself. I could go on and on, but what I mean to say is that if you make this recipe, you’ll find all the joy and comfort this pie has brought others over many years.
In lieu of fancies, you’ll find love…and that’s the fanciest thing of all.
Always,
B + Maggie Elizabeth (aka: Mamaw Margaret)
The Recipe
(makes 2 pies)
2- 8 inch pie crusts - Make your own, buy them refrigerated, or go straight for the already baked and frozen stuff like Mamaw does. There’s no shame here.
3- 8oz. packages cream cheese, slightly softened
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 tsp. vanilla extract, divided
1/4 tsp. salt
2 envelopes Kraft Dream Whip Dessert Topping - Not to be confused with Cool Whip
1/2 cup cold whole or 2% milk
2- 14oz. cans cherry pie filling - We recommend Market Pantry from Target
Ingredients:
Directions:
1) Prepare 2 pie crusts in pie tins according to recipe or package instructions. Allow to cool, if needed.
2) Beat cream cheese on medium-high with handheld mixer (if using stand mixer, use paddle attachment) until just smooth. Add half of powdered sugar and mix until smooth. Scrape bottom of bowl then add remaining powdered sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla extract, and salt. Continue to beat on medium-high until light and fluffy and no lumps are visible (about 2-3 minutes). Divide evenly into prepared pie crusts, smoothing with spatula to fill bottom.
3) Prepare Dream Whip according to package directions, adding the remaining tsp. vanilla extract and 1/2 cup milk. Top cream cheese with Dream Whip mixture.
4) Top with 1 can of cherries for each pie (pile them on; the more the better).
5) Gently cover and chill for at least one hour before serving.
6) Enjoy!
