Strawberry & White Chocolate Cheesecake Pie

Intro:

Do you need a show-stopping dessert for Easter or other spring gathering? Well, here you go! There’s very little baking and prep time involved, which makes this one of my favorite pies to make. Once the white chocolate cheesecake filling hidden underneath the fresh strawberry topping is revealed and everyone has had their first bite, the oohs and aahs will commence. Did I mention the salty-sweet pretzel crust creates the perfect frame? And yes, the symbol written in sweetened whipped cream on top makes this the perfect “Pi” for March 14th!

Ingredients:

Crust:

2 cups finely crushed pretzels (3 ½-4 cups pretzel sticks)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

Cheesecake Filling:

1 (1 oz.) box sugar free white chocolate instant pudding mix (may substitute a 3.4 oz. box regular instant pudding mix)

1 cup cold milk

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Strawberry Topping:

2 cups boiling water

2 (3 oz.) boxes strawberry gelatin (may substitute two 0.3 oz. boxes sugar free strawberry gelatin)

2 cups stemmed and sliced fresh strawberries

Whipped Cream:

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 tablespoons powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon cornstarch

Pinch of salt

Supplies and utensils:

9-inch deep-dish pie plate

Whisk

Hand mixer

Wooden spoon

Spatula

Measuring cups

Measuring spoons

4 mixing bowls- 1 large, 2 medium, and 1 small

Piping bag with tip

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, stir together crushed pretzels and sugar. Drizzle with melted butter. Work together with a spatula or fork until evenly mixed. Press firmly into bottom and completely up side of pie plate. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely.

For filling, in a small deep mixing bowl or dish, whisk pudding mix and milk together until smooth. Set aside to thicken. In a medium mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, and extract together on medium speed until smooth. Add pudding mixture to cream cheese mixture. Beat on low speed until smooth. Spoon into cooled crust and spread evenly. Refrigerate.

For topping, in a medium deep bowl, stir boiling water and gelatin together until gelatin is dissolved. Cool for 15 minutes then refrigerate until slightly set. Stir in strawberries and spoon evenly over filling in crust. Refrigerate until firmly set.

For whipped cream, 2-3 hours before serving time, place heavy

cream in a medium glass bowl or dish then place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Place beaters for mixer in refrigerator as well. Add extract to heavy cream. Stir powdered sugar, cornstarch and salt together in a small bowl then add to heavy cream. Beat on medium speed until smooth then on high speed just until stiff peaks form, being careful not to overbeat. Cover and refrigerate.

Just before serving, fill the piping bag with tip with whipped cream and pipe the pi symbol on top of pie.

Cut into 8 wedges to serve. Place wedges on individual serving plates and sprinkle the top of each with the crust crumbs from the pie plate. Serve with additional whipped cream if desired. Serves 8. Enjoy!

Use the sweetened whipped cream to pipe other designs on pie as desired.