Cranberry Cheesecake Pie

 

I can’t really describe how I learned to cook or bake, whether I’m referring to certain dishes or in general. It never occurred to me that I wouldn’t be able to pick up a recipe and make the thing it was telling me how to make. I trusted the text and my ability to understand what the heck everything meant. It’s a good thing, then, that my early attempts were guided by resources that had been created well.

One such invaluable resource was and still is Pillsbury: The Complete Book of Baking, published in 1993. (Two other notables are the red-and-white checked Better Homes and Gardens cookbook and Cooking Light magazine.) My mother had a copy, and whatever she and I baked from it went well. I eventually got my own copy (Mom may have given me my copy. I can’t remember.), and one of the first things I remember making in it was this simple cheesecake pie.

 

My memories of my early Cranberry Lemon Cheesecake Pies are pretty fuzzy, but I must have made it because my husband, Harry, likes citrus and other sour things. I have a hard time believing that way back then (this could have been, like, 15-18 years ago!) I successfully blind baked pie crust, although I was making quiche in those days, so I probably had it figured out. Who can remember these things.

Clearly, and most importantly, I do remember this dessert, even though years can pass between pies. It’s very simple to make, with the blind baked crust being the most complicated thing about it. The cheesecake filling is simply whipped up cream cheese and heavy cream lightly sweetened and flavored with lemon zest. No need to bake it. The topping is a sweetened cranberry sauce made as easily as classic Cranberry Sauce.

I think this could be really simple to change up for the seasons or to include your favorite flavors. The lemon zest could be replaced with orange, tangerine or lime, and any pie-filling-like fruit topping could work in place of the cranberries. As quick and easy as this is, you could try all of your ideas and eat your way through lots of fruity cheesecake-y bliss.

Cranberry Lemon Cheesecake Pie

Adapted from Pillsbury: The Complete Book of Baking

Most recently, I made this using a store-bought pie crust (Pillsbury brand seemed appropriate.) The blind baking time was a little less than I use for a thicker homemade crust. Pay close attention during the final blind baking phase so that you do not overbrown or burn your crust.

Pastry for a single crust pie, homemade (such as the one in this post) or store bought

For the topping

¾ cup + 3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 tablespoons cornstarch

1 ½ cups fresh or frozen cranberries (no need to thaw if frozen)

1/3 cup water

1 tablespoons cornstarch

For the filling

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

½ cup heavy whipping cream

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Place the pie dough into a 9-inch pie pan, being careful not to stretch. Blind bake according to the method in this post (or using your favorite method). Watch the crust carefully during the final baking step and avoid overbrowning.

2. Remove the pie pan from the oven and cool completely.

3. Combine the 3 tablespoons sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl. Mix together and set aside.

4. To make the cranberry topping, combine the cranberries ¾ cup sugar and water in a medium size saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves.

5. Bring the mixture to a boil. Boil 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in the cornstarch mixture. Return to a boil and boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and cool completely. This can be made a day or two ahead. Cover and chill.

6. To make the filling, beat together the cream cheese and whipping cream with a hand-held mixer until light and fluffy. Add the 1/3 cup sugar and beat until well combined. Beat in the lemon zest.

7. Spoon the cream cheese mixture evenly into to prepared pie crust. Spoon the cranberry mixture over the cream cheese mixture and spread evenly. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Refrigerate leftovers.

Makes 6-8 servings.

Other recipes like this one: Cranberry Bars, Cranberry Swirl Cheesecake with Chocolate Crust

10 Favorites with Fresh Cranberries

 

One of my favorite winter ingredients is the cranberry. Of course, you can’t do much with just one, so they are available in nice quantities for adding to recipes. They’re super tart and maybe a bit bitter, but with plenty of sugar and spice, their flavor is great. Whether I’m enjoying them as the main ingredient in a side-dish sauce surrounded by other traditional holiday meal components, or stirred into baked goods for a pop of intense flavor, I love reaching for a cup or two of fresh cranberries all winter long.

While I truly believe that there’s a special gilded resting place in every form of afterlife for the inventor of the Craisin, I’ve limited this list to recipes made with fresh cranberries. Of course, cranberries freeze very well, keeping their shape even after thawing, and keeping basically forever due to their high acidity. You can consider the frozen cranberry a direct substitute for a fresh one.

Here are 10 favorite recipes from The Messy Apron Archives that feature these pretty red jewels:

Cranberry sauce is a must on a holiday table and there are many ways to vary it. This basic Cranberry Sauce can be made with different juices or even wine.

Cranberry Sauce with Persimmons and Spice is another way to go.

 

Cranberries are great with apples and are really a wonderful addition to Apple and Cranberry Crisp, and they’re delicious in this simple Cranberry Apple Oatmeal Coffee Cake, too.

I like to stir cranberries into muffins like these Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins

And Lime Scented Cranberry Muffins

They’re even great stirred into Cranberry Walnut Cornbread and served with a hot bowl of chili (like this one).

Of course, cranberries can star in desserts, too, like these pucker-y tart Cranberry Bars

 

Or the sweeter Cranberry Swirl Cheesecake with Chocolate Crust

Puree cranberries in a blender with vinegar, oil, and some other savory ingredients, and you have a fresh and lovely Cranberry Vinaigrette, which is good on a green salad or in a heartier winter salad with grains.

I have plenty of new recipes and ideas I hope to try using perky crimson winter cranberries. I hope you’re inclined to enjoy them as much as I do in the months to come!

Cranberry Apple Coffee Cake

 

You know the universe is conspiring against you when, after a month of nothing, you finally pull together a small lump of material for a humble blog post and your internet provider experiences widespread outages. Great.

But I think the waves are rolling, now, so I’ll tell you about the latest version of the simple coffee cake I keep coming back to. This one has cranberries and apples and enough oatmeal to make it feel like it’s part of a complete breakfast.

 

I love how the pockets of cranberries keep this cake from getting too sweet, especially after the recent Halloween overload. (After it was all over, I found two more bags of candy in the closet that hadn’t even been opened yet!) The cranberries also make this cake kind of pretty, as their jewel-toned juices bubble up through the crumble topping. While I love that crumble topping, you could leave it out and save some time and/or calories, depending on your priorities.

Even when I get a weekend off, I never seem to be able to pull together anything like an elaborate brunch, but this cake is a quick one, so it can help make the weekend special without too much fuss. It’s also good for dessert and stays moist and appetizing for a few days, so leftovers will be welcome.

Someday, maybe my life won’t be quite so messy, with a day-job schedule that makes me feel like a real human being. Until then, let me eat cake! Take that, conspiring universe!

Cranberry Apple Oatmeal Coffee Cake

For the topping

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

Pinch fine salt

For the cake

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup all-purpose flour

¾ cup rolled oats

1 cup granulated sugar

1 ½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon fine salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 egg

¾ cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 medium apple, peeled and diced

1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries

1. To prepare the topping, combine the 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, cold butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and pinch of salt in a small bowl. Work in the butter pieces with a fork or with your fingers until the mixture is crumbly and forms clumps when squeezed together. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. (This can be made a few days ahead.)

2. Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray an 8-inch square baking pan or dish with cooking spray or grease it with butter or oil.

3. To make the cake batter, melt the 2 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Set aside to cool.

4. In a medium-size bowl, combine the 1 cup flour, rolled oats, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Whisk together to combine well. Set aside.

5. In another medium-size bowl, lightly beat the egg. Slowly whisk in the melted butter. Whisk in the milk and vanilla extract.

6. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir until most of the dry ingredients have been moistened. Stir in the apple and cranberries.

7. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Sprinkle the crumble topping evenly over the top.

8. Bake at 350 F for 40-45 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached. Cool on a wire rack until cool enough to cut and enjoy. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 9-16 servings.

Other recipes like this one: Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake, Blueberry Coffee Cake with Brown Sugar Crumble Topping, Lime Scented Cranberry Muffins, Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins