Sweet Charity Pie

My google-fu must be weak today. For the life of me, I cannot figure out why this wonderful, dessert is called Sweet Charity Pie. Is it because the ingredients are cheap? Is it named after a restaurant? What!? I simply cannot stand the suspense!

Regardless of Sweet Charity Pie's nominal origins, I happened upon the recipe at Sweet Treats and More. Apparently, Debbie Mortensen was the creator of this recipe.  (But who are you Mrs. Mortensen!?)  Well, whoever you are, you have truly invented some jolly good pie.

At first I thought the crust wasn't going to work out.  You bake the crust mixture in a 9x13 pan and then put it into a pie crust.  I thought that was peculiar.  Why can't the crust mixture just be placed in the pie pan and then baked?  Perhaps because you need to bake the topping part too?  I think the crust would hold together better if it was baked in the pie pan.  I wish I could ask Debbie the wherefores and how to's of preparing the crust in this fashion.

A big fan of cherries, I am not, so I used peach filling.  The cherry filling tints the top layer so you can see the difference between the fruit-cool whip layer and the cream cheese layer.  A darker filling is definitely more visually appealing.  Alas, lesson learned.  Next time I might try a can of strawberry filling.  That way I'll get the colours I want, without having to subject myself to any nasty flavours.

Also, if you do happen to use peach filling, please do not forget, as I did, to cut said peach pieces.  It will be much easier to eat that way.

Do make this pie.  You shan't regret it.

Sweet Charity Pie originally from Debbie Mortensen
1 cup flour
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, soft
8 oz cream cheese, soft
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 cup powdered sugar
21 oz can Cherry Pie Filling (I used peach pie filling.)
1 (8 oz) carton of cool whip

Preheat oven to 375. In a medium bowl combine flour, pecans, brown sugar and butter. Use two butter knives or a pastry blender to cut in butter. Mix until well combined and crumble forms. Spread crumb mixture into a sheet cake pan and bake for 15-20 min until golden brown, stirring once half way through. Let cool, then press crumbs into a 9 in. round pie pan, reserving 1 c o crumbs for top. Refrigerate to completely cool.

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, and almond extract. Beat until smooth and creamy.  In another bowl, combine pie filling and cool whip. Spread the cream cheese mix over top of crumb crust in pie dish. Some  crumbs might lift as you try to spread the cream cheese layer. It helps if you dollop the cream cheese mix all over top of crust, then try to spread. Top with cherry pie-cool whip mix. Cover with reserved crust mix.

This post has been brought to you by reading too much Austen-esque literature.