Hello all!
It's time for sharing a delightful red berry dessert that's easy to make and beautiful to serve to your family and friends.
And, so scrumptious!
This particular dessert is served every tourist season on Prince Edward Island, Canada at my favorite restaurant - The Prince Edward Island Preserve Company in New Glasgow, Prince Edward Island.
The PEI Preserve Company provides recipes on their website for a number of their delicious offerings, but this particular dessert recipe is not one of them. It's no wonder as it's a very popular choice to end a memorable dinner or be part of an afternoon tea sitting at a table adorned with a white tablecloth under glass where ceiling rafters are decorated with quilts.
Aren't you itching to partake in this red berry delight with a hot cup of Earl Grey Tea, sipping and nibbling while your gaze looks across the rippling waters of Clyde River?
You can indulge in this dessert any time of the year when you make it yourself, but I'm sure your view where you sit and dine has quite a different look, yes?
When my husband and I lived on Prince Edward Island for almost nine years, an eight-minute drive made it easy to enjoy many breakfasts, teas, and lunches which sometimes included a slice of this delectable red and white pie.
As there was no recipe available for this famous dessert, one of the cookbooks their shop sold included a recipe for a raspberry pie. I purchased the cookbook and made the pie but it
turned out terrible. So unlike the version in the cafe. Not worthy of serving. I couldn't understand how this particular pie recipe was included in this cookbook.
I decided there was way too much cornstarch for the amount of berries. A thin layer of pink berries was unappetizing. I wanted a thick layer of beautiful RED raspberries. Then I doubled everything else.
During my second attempt with this recipe, while thickening the berries on the stove, I slowly poured in the cornstarch liquid and stirred while saying "don't turn pink" - "don't turn pink" - and the berries stayed red! Everything turned out great! I was so excited I replicated the Raspberry Cream Cheese Pie the Preserve Company served! I could make it myself whenever I wanted. Even now as I am 1,534 miles away from that beautiful place!
Without further ado, here's the recipe! You can make this any time of the year with fresh berries OR frozen berries. I've done both. Just make sure when using frozen berries that you add an extra tablespoon of cornstarch for thickening the berries as frozen berries hold more water than fresh. Measure the cornstarch precisely - no heaping tablespoons.
Raspberry Cream Cheese Pie
1 baked pie shell - cooled!
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
4 tbsp. sugar
4 tbsp. light cream
4 cups fresh raspberries (or frozen - not sweetened)
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 tbsp. lemon juice
4 tbsp. corn starch* mixed with 1/2 cup cold water
(*use 5 tbsp. if using frozen berries - as they contain more water)
Optional: whipped cream and chocolate sauce of your choice
Prepare pie shell of your choice and let it cool before adding fillings. Beat cream cheese, 4 tbsp. sugar and light cream together until smooth. Spread into cooled pie shell. Combine raspberries, 1 1/2 cups sugar, and lemon juice in a medium-sized saucepan. On medium heat, stir and cook raspberries until just about to boil. Slowly drizzle in the corn starch mixture while stirring constantly. You may need to turn the heat down as it will bubble and sputter. Cook for one minute. Cool and chill raspberry mixture. Spread on top of the cream cheese layer and chill pie for several hours before serving. Cover pie with plastic wrap. Store leftovers in the fridge.
It's delightful and delicious served with whipped cream and drizzled with chocolate sauce!
And don't forget to serve it with your favorite tea or coffee!
Our last meal (breakfast) at The PEI Preserve Company was July 3, 2018. We were moving back to the States (SC). We had moved out of our home in Fredericton, PEI the day before and stayed overnight with our dear friends, Barbara and Alan Statham. Sweet memories! No raspberry pie that morning, but we enjoyed a great breakfast and wonderful fellowship!
Let me know how your pie comes out!
