Strawberry Cream Pie

My dessert-a-week order has been going on for about 3 months now. It's been a lot of fun, but it's also been a little difficult coming up with new, creative desserts that will please the family. I've found out the they LOVE key lime pie, aren't that into cheesecake, and might get duel citizenship just to get more Nanaimo Bars. Since it is summer time, I've been trying to incorporate seasonal fruit desserts, which is why I decided on this next dessert.



I found it while perusing Foodgawker and instantly fell in love with both the look of the pie, as well as the easiness of the recipe. When I first made it on Saturday for my family I thought it was going to have the flavor of a no bake cheesecake, but to my surprise it only has a little bite from the cream cheese and ends up being a really light creamy dream! Next time I plan on switching it up with some different fruits, or forgetting the fruit altogether and folding in some caramel sauce. This recipe is super versatile and can be transformed into any type of dessert you need. Enjoy!

Crust
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 stick butter, melted

Filling (adapted from Just Putzing Around the Kitchen)
2 8oz blocks of cream cheese, softened
2 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup sugar
2 cups heavy cream, cold

1 pint of strawberries, sliced

1. Preheat oven to 350. Combine the graham cracker crumb and melted butter. Press evenly into a deep dish pie pie. Place crust in the fridge for 10 minutes. Bake crust for 10-12 minutes. Let cool completely.

2. Whip heavy cream to stiff peaks and place in the fridge until ready to use. In another bowl combine the rest of the filling ingredients and beat until smooth and creamy.

3. Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture in three additions. Make sure the filling is properly combined. Put filling into cooled crust and use an offset spatula to smooth out.

4. Take the strawberry slices and place around the pie in a floral design. Allow pie to chill for at least 4 hours, so the filling can set properly.