The Taste of Memory: Cherry Breeze Pie

When I was a kid, my grandmother made a cherry breeze pie that quickly became my favorite. After learning this, she would make it for me each time I visited. As with anything, the constant repetition transformed my favorite pie into something of a torture. But, I would smile and eat it, even though my love of the pie had faded away.

After she died, that was apparently the end of the cherry breeze pie. Not surprisingly, when I thought of her, I would think of the pie. But, I seemed to have had my fill of it.

Then one day I woke up with a wicked urge for cheery breeze pie. I had no idea how to make it, so I contacted my mother and she sent me the recipe. I made the pie, cut a slice and stared at it.

Then I picked up the fork and took a piece, a bit worried at how this would turn out. After all, some memories are best left as memories.

While it was not as good as she made it, it was damn good. I finished off the piece and then had another, for her of course. For me, that pie is the taste of memory.

The recipe is quite easy:

Ingredients

Crust

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

1/3 cup butter or margarine — melted

or 1 pre-made graham cracker crust

Filling

1 package cream cheese — (8 ounces)

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 can cherry pie filling — (1 pound, 5 ounces)

Directions

1. Cook butter and sugar in saucepan over medium heat until mixture boils. Remove from heat and mix in graham cracker crumbs. Press mixture evenly and firmly into 9 inch pie plate to form a crust. Chill. (Or just buy a pre-made crust).

2. Beat cream cheese until smooth. Gradually mix in sweetened condensed milk, stir in lemon juice and vanilla. Spread in crust. Refrigerate 3-4 hours or until firm.

3. Top with chilled cherry pie filling. To remove pie pieces easily, place hot wet towel around sides and bottom of pan before cutting.