- Author: Lauria Watts
Oh, man, I just made this dessert and it was extremely easy. The oven didn't need to be used because I cheatedwith a store-bought graham cracker crust. The pie filling came out of a jar of mine; it was cherry.
There are many recipes similar to this, but most call for frozen whipped topping like Cool Whip. I found a recipe that called for home whipped cream, so I went with it and I am glad I did.
Although this looks very rich, the tart sour-cherry pie filling balanced things nicely. It came out a lot lighter than I thought it would be.
Cherry Cream Cheese Freezer Pie
--1 large Graham Cracker Crust from the store (If you get the smaller crust, you should probably buy two.) OR use the Home-made Graham Cracker Crust below.
--1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, soft enough to whip, but still slightly cool
--1 c. powdered sugar
--1/2 pt. (8 ounces, 1 cup) heavy whipping cream, whipped until fluffy
--About 3 cups of your home preserved favorite pie filling OR 1 can commercial pie filling
Place a deep, narrow bowl and beaters/whisk in the fridge to chill to whip the cream.
Bring the cream cheese out to warm almost to room temperature.
Pour the cold whipping cream into the chilled bowl. Use the cold beaters or whisk to whip the cream just until stiff peaks start to form. Set aside in the fridge.
In another bowl beat cool (not cold) cream cheese and the powdered sugar until fluffy. Add whipped cream and mix well, and it should still be light looking.Scrape into the crust and spread evenly.
Evenly spread the pie filling over the cream cheese mixture then cover the pie and freeze overnight.
To serve, bring out of the freezer for about 20 minutes to soften slightly then slice into wedges and serve cold.
Store leftovers (if you have any) in the freezer for couple of days or for a day or two in the fridge.
Notes:
If you are using home-made pie filling and it is a little loose, strain your fruit somewhat before placing it on top of the pie. If you use commercial pie filling, you will not need to do this.
I made 1 quart of cherry filling using the recipe at https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_02/can_pie/cherry_filling.html . The filling was used freshly made and 2 extra cups of frozen sour pie cherries were added to the recipe.
Home-made Graham Cracker Crust
2 c. graham cracker crumbs
1/2 c. melted butter
3 tbsp. powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 350º F.
Thoroughly mix graham cracker crumbs, butter and 3 tablespoons powdered sugar and press evenly into a large pie pan. Bake 10 minutes at 350 degrees, or until lightly browned.
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- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
When the Onward California tour rolls into Davis next week, the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility will share the limelight.
Here's why.
First of all, the tour of 10 campuses and their adjoining communities is a campaign to draw attention and support for the University of California in these tough economic times.
Or, as Dan Dooley, UC senior vice president for External Relations, told Dateline, UC Davis: "This tour brings the University to Californians in their own communities and gives them the opportunities to engage with UC in a new and unexpected way. We hope that building understanding of how UC contributes to the daily lives of all Californians will further strengthen public appreciation and support for the mission of public higher education in the state."
So, how does the honey bee fit in?
Well, Gelateria Naia of Hercules, Calif., is donating 50,000 Bar Gelato treats to give away on the tours, and the UC marketing gurus cleverly selected a flavor to represent each of the 10 campuses.
Naia's 10 UC gelato flavors show the value of what UC delivers to California through higher education--"in agriculture and nutrition; health and brain science; astronomy, computers and energy; and sustainability and the arts," Jones wrote.
Which brings us to the flavor selected for UC Davis: "Bar Gelato Honey Bee."
The label indicates that "UC Davis' honey bee research facility is the largest and most comprehensive state-supported apiculture facility in North America and the only one in California."
So the spotlight next week is on the bee scientists at the UC Davis Department of Entomology's Laidlaw facility; the 80 research hives they maintain; and the honey bees.
And the free bar of gelato? That's one honey of a deal.
Here's where you can get yours:
Wednesday, Oct. 3: Davis Farmers' Market, Central Park, 3rd and C streets, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 4: UC Davis campus on the East Quad from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Onward California tour will share the site with the Davis Chamber of Commerce; this is the annual day that Davis businesses meet and greet the students.
On that note, if you want to know more about what UC is doing for us and how you can get involved, be sure to read Jones' article, "UC's Statewide Tour Heads to Davis--City and Campus." in Dateline and access the Onward California website.
And if you're the curious type and want to know the gelato flavor selected for each of the 10 campuses (okay, who got the chocolate and why?), you'll have to read Jones' sidebar, "A Honey of a Treat Just for UC Davis."

