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05/09/2000 Archived Entry: "Pineapple Cheese Pie"

This is for the “what it’s worth” department. In early April, a listener asked for a recipe for pineapple cheese pie. He said he used to eat it years ago. His mother used to make it or a friend used to make … I don’t remember. I had no recollection of the pie, but surmised from his description that it was a standard cheesecake mixture baked in a pastry shell with canned pineapple filling, which is, in essence, crushed pineapple thickened with cornstarch.

Apparently, I was mostly right. The pineapple filling is made from scratch, if you call using canned pineapple as “from scratch.” (Well, why not?) Dorothy Terranova of Wyckoff, N.J., sent me the following recipe. It’s from the “Philadelphia Brand Cream Cheese Cookbook” published in 1981. Dorothy says she remembers seeing the recipe in advertisements for the cream cheese in the women’s magazines. So, indeed, it must have been very popular at the time.


Pineapple “Philly” Pie

For fruit filling:
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 8 1/4-ounce can crushed pineapple, not drained

1 9-inch unbaked pastry shell

For cheese filling:
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup chopped pecans

To make the fruit filling: In a saucepan, combine the sugar and cornstarch. Gradually add pineapple. Cook, stirring constantly, until clear and thickened. Cool. Spread onto the bottom of the pastry shell.

To make the cheese filling: combine the cream cheese, sugar, and salt, mixing until well blended. Blend in the milk, eggs, and vanilla.

Pour the cheese filling over the pineapple filling. Sprinkle with nuts.

Bake in a preheated 400-degree for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 325 degrees and continue baking 40 minutes.

Cool thoroughly and chill before serving.

Garnish with pineapple slices, cut in half, and maraschino cherry halves, if desired.