No Bake Cheesecake

One of my good friends gave me a box of cream cheese which I was saving for a special occasion until I read that it was about to expire in a few days. I panicked because I was not prepared to cook or bake anything on that day- it was my family-bonding day, Sunday.

Of course, I don't have the heart to waste food- its cream cheese! And besides, I don't get to eat it everyday.

After doing my routine research, I decided to try two separate recipes (Thanks to Martha Stewart and Paula Deen) for the crust and filling. 

Graham-nut Crust

From The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook The New Classics, page 476

(Makes 12 ½ x 141/4-inch crust)

Ingredients:

¼ cup Pecans

10 Graham Crackers (5 ounces)

3 Tbsp sugar (I used light brown sugar)

¼ Salt

4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350^oF. Place the pecans in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet, and toast until they are fragrant, about 8 minutes. Remove from the oven; let cool.

Place the graham crackers in a food processor; pulse until fine crumbs form. Add the sugar, salt, and pecans; pulse to combine. Add the butter; pulse until fine crumbs form.

Transfer to a 13 ½ x 4 ½ -inch tart pan (I used spring form pan since I made Cheesecake) and pat evenly into the bottom and up the sides.

I placed my ready crust inside the refrigerator to allow it to settle.

Cherry Cream Cheese Pie (I omitted the Cherry pie filling)

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

Serves: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (I reduced it to ¼ cup based on the reviews that I read)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 (9-inch) graham cracker crust (I used the one I prepared above)

1 (21-ounce) can cherry pie filling, chilled (I omitted)

Instructions:

In either a stand mixer fixed with a paddle attachment or using a hand held electric mixer, cream the cream cheese until light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Slowly add the milk mixing on low speed until well combined. Stir in the lemon juice and vanilla and pour into the crust*.

Place the pie into the refrigerator for at least 2 hours up to overnight, until well chilled and set.

*Please note that I added in the mixture one (1) envelope (10 grams) of unflavored gelatin which I melted in 3 Tbsp of hot water before pouring it into the pie crust. I learned this technique when I first attempted to make a Key Lime Cheesecake (no bake too) and my filling never reached its desired firmness. 

My husband likes it so much that we decided to privately share (just myself and him) the whole pie.