Ingredients:
CRUST:
- 1 ½ cups ground graham crackers (1 sleeve)
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar (packed)
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- pinch of fine salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
FILLING:
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ⅓ cup sweetened condensed milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
TOPPING:
- 5 cups fresh strawberries, quartered or halved (depending on size)
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons agave nectar
Cookware:
- Measuring spoons
- Measuring cup
- Food processor
- Hand held electric mixer
- Glass mixing bowls
- Silicone spatula
- Glass 9 inch pie plate with lid
- Pastry storage container (optional)
- Knife
Instructions:
CRUST:
1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Add graham crackers, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt to a food processor, and pulse into fine crumbs.
2. Melt butter, and add crumb mixture to the melted butter. Stir to combine until completely coated.
3. Dump crumb mixture into an ungreased 9 inch glass pie plate. Press the crumb mixture firmly into the pie plate only halfway up the sides of the pan.
4. Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown and fragrant. Cool completely on a wire rack before filling.
FILLING:
1. Using a handheld electric mixer (or stand mixer), beat softened cream cheese until smooth. Scrape down the bowl, then slowly add sweetened condensed milk while beating. Then add vanilla until combined. Scrape the bowl again, then add the powdered sugar, and beat until smooth and silky.
2. Pour filling into the cooled crust. Spread evenly to the edges, and swirl the top. Cover pie, and refrigerate overnight until firm (minimum 6 hours).
TOPPING:
1. Prepare topping no more than 15-30 minutes before serving. Cut strawberries into quarters or halves lengthwise, and place them in a bowl.
2. Add vanilla, cinnamon, and agave, and gently toss to evenly and thoroughly coat the strawberries. Cover and refrigerate for 15 to 30 minutes.
3. Cut pie, and place each slice on a plate. Spoon strawberry topping on each individual slice.
About This Recipe
Almost everyone has experienced moments where certain foods invoke special memories from their past. In the case of Micheline and Leigh, who are friends and business partners in Southern California, this Silky Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie recipe holds an important place in their hearts. It represents the beginning of a new chapter in each of their lives because it was the very first recipe published on their website: PimpMyRecipe.com.
Their story is a bit unusual. Neither of their backgrounds are in the culinary arts, but rather in corporate America. Micheline and Leigh initially met as co-workers and worked together over the course of nearly 20 years. Both rose to high-level executive roles and were what many would consider successful, but it wasn’t without sacrifice. Their demanding, high-stress jobs greatly impacted their health and personal happiness and they missed out on time spent with their husbands, children, friends, and loved ones. These are moments they could never get back, and after almost two decades, it finally took a toll. A tremendous amount of soul searching led each of them to independently decide to leave their jobs in late 2019 and early 2020, choosing health and happiness over monetary gain. A few months later, the pandemic hit…
Once lockdown started in March 2020, Micheline and Leigh both found themselves spending many hours in their home kitchens. This was a cathartic and welcome change after the intense pace of their former business careers. For the first time in many years, they were having fun! Several months of texting photos to each other of all the mouthwatering food and unique cocktails they were making made them realize they had a similar passion for baking and cooking.
After a serious ‘should we do this thing?’ brainstorming session, they decided to team up again and create a unique food blog to share their recipes with others. Utilizing their business experience, they developed a vision to combine the look and feel of a professional website that was easy to navigate and included value added content that would benefit their readers of all ages, such as Tips & Tricks, Recommended Products, and a Kid’s Cooking Corner. Micheline who is an empty nester, and Leigh who has two young children that are both interested in cooking, felt it was important to include recipes and information that would be of interest to all ages.
Their website features their own original recipes, as well as elevated twists on popular recipes. As a first generation American, Micheline’s heritage is French, Spanish, and Mexican. Leigh was born and raised in the Midwest with German and Scandinavian roots. Influenced by their cultural backgrounds and a healthy Southern California way of life, their website offers a little bit of everything, with recipes highlighting fresh ingredients and diverse flavors from around the world.
Starting their own blog has given both women a renewed sense of purpose and direction. After launching Pimp My Recipe, almost two years ago, these friends and business partners look back fondly at this Silky Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie recipe as the one that started it all. Owning their own business has given them the flexibility to spend time with their families, travel, practice more self-care, find a sense of peace and happiness, and overall enjoy life again.
Silky Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie Recipe
Equipment
- Measuring spoons
- Measuring cup
- Food processor
- Hand held electric mixer
- Glass mixing bowls
- Silicone spatula
- Glass 9 inch pie plate with lid
- Pastry storage container (optional)
- Knife
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 1/2 cups ground graham crackers (one sleeve)
- 2 tbsp. light brown sugar (packed)
- 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
- pinch of fine salt
- 6 tbsp. unsalted butter (melted)
Filling
- 8 oz. cream cheese (softened)
- 1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp. powdered sugar
Topping
- 5 cups fresh strawberries (quartered or halved)
- 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 3 tbsp. agave nectar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Add graham crackers, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt to a food processor, and pulse into fine crumbs.
- Melt butter, and add crumb mixture to the melted butter. Stir to combine until completely coated.
- Dump crumb mixture into an ungreased 9 inch glass pie plate. Press the crumb mixture firmly into the pie plate only halfway up the sides of the pan.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown and fragrant. Cool completely on a wire rack before filling.
- Using a handheld electric mixer (or stand mixer), beat softened cream cheese until smooth. Scrape down the bowl, then slowly add sweetened condensed milk while beating. Then add vanilla until combined. Scrape the bowl again, then add the powdered sugar, and beat until smooth and silky.
- Pour filling into the cooled crust. Spread evenly to the edges, and swirl the top. Cover pie, and refrigerate overnight until firm (minimum 6 hours).
- Prepare topping no more than 15-30 minutes before serving. Cut strawberries into quarters or halves lengthwise, and place them in a bowl.
- Add vanilla, cinnamon, and agave, and gently toss to evenly and thoroughly coat the strawberries. Cover and refrigerate for 15 to 30 minutes.
- Cut pie, and place each slice on a plate. Spoon strawberry topping on each individual slice.
This recipe was submitted to Love What Matters by Micheline and Leigh of Pimp My Recipe. You can follow them on Instagram, Youtube and their website. Submit your own story here, and be sure to subscribe to our free email newsletter for our best stories, and YouTube for our best videos.
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