Cherry Cheese Pie

Total Time: 50 mins Preparation Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (20 graham crackers, crushed, should give you enough crumbs.)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened, plus
• 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 egg whites, stiffly beaten
• 1 (16 ounce) can cherries, in water
• red food coloring
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Recipe

• 1 crust: combine the cracker crumbs, the brown sugar and butter in a small bowl, blending well.
• 2 press into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate.
• 3 filling: beat the two packages of cream cheese in a bowl using an electric mixer set on medium speed, until smooth.
• 4 gradually add 1/2 cup of sugar and the vanilla, blending well.
• 5 gently fold the stiffly beaten egg whites into the cream cheese mixture.
• 6 pour into the brown sugar pie crust.
• 7 bake at 325 degrees f. for 25 minutes or until the filling is set.
• 8 cool on a wire rack.
• 9 drain the cherries, reserving 1/2 cup of the juice.
• 10 combine the reserved juice with a few drops of red food coloring, 1/4 cup of sugar, and the cornstarch in a 2 quart saucepan.
• 11 cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture boils and thickens.
• 12 remove from the heat and cool slightly.
• 13 arrange the cherries over the cheese filling, then spoon the glaze over the cherries.
• 14 cover and chill for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator or until the glaze is set.
• 15 serve cold.