Washington’s Birthday – Cherry Cheese Pie

Did George Washington really chop down a cherry tree? Maybe. Maybe not. Still, it is as good a reason as any to make a Cherry Cheese Pie and celebrate all things February. I want to hand down the tradition, though in the transmission I am also apt to change a detail or two.

A Cherry Cheese Pie for February

When I was young, February was the month for Cherry Cheese Pie. Every year as mid-February approached, Aunt Hen would consult her recipe and write any missing ingredients on her weekly shopping list. After her Wednesday trip to the grocery she would gather what she needed to make her pie. It always had a buttery sweet graham cracker crust, a creamy cheese filling and glistening red cherry pie filling on top.

I had mixed emotions about this annual pie-making event. I always liked to help out in the kitchen when Aunt Hen was making something special. What I was far less excited about was cherry pie filling. It was gooey and sticky and had an overly strong flavor in my childish opinion. While I liked the graham crackers in the crust and was willing to believe that the cream cheese filling was appealing, that cherry topping strongly discouraged my enthusiasm for this annual delight.

Aunt Hen often accomodated my preferences, but she must have struggled to justify a Cherry Cheese Pie without the cherries. After all, the cherries were actually the point. The reason for making this pie every February was to celebrate George Washington’s birthday. As every school child once knew, George Washington’s fame for owning that he was the one who chopped down his father’s prized cherry tree was only eclipsed by his exploits in the Revolutionary War and the fact that he was the first president of the United States. Yet even though she always made her Cherry Cheese Pie with the same canned cherry pie filling glistening on top, Aunt Hen would often make a small tart sized portion of her pie without the cherries, just for me.

Holiday Revisions

Now George Washington’s Birthday, once celebrated on February 22 on the Gregorian calendar, and Abraham Lincoln’s birthday, once celebrated on February 12, are lumped together into a single President’s Day, celebrated on the 3rd Monday in February. This holiday has become, for the most part, another three day weekend, an opportunity to plan a short getaway or to check out sales at the local department stores. I’m not sure if the lessons once learned by observing George Washington’s character and the sacrifices made for his country, are still studied or honored across the generations.

These days many stories I learned in school are simply dismissed by historians, from Christopher Columbus’ discovery of America to Washington saying “Father, I cannot tell a lie.” This story about young George and the cherry tree is now understood to be false, a fabrication woven by biographer M. L. Weems in an effort to make a point about Washington’s character.

Did George Washington really chop down a cherry tree? Maybe. Maybe not. In any case, I still like to remember the story. It is as good a reason as any to make a Cherry Cheese Pie and remember Aunt Hen’s affection each February. I want to hand down the tradition, though in the transmission I am also prone to changing a detail or two.

Updating Traditions

The truth is, my aunt’s recipe in her own handwriting, reads like this:

Though I remember this recipe fondly, I elected not to use the Dream Whip. I prefer to make the pie using real whipped cream. What’s more, I chose to add brown sugar instead of powdered sugar and to use a lot less of it. I also made my own cherry topping after finding an appealing jar of Morello Cherries at Trader Joe’s. The pretty oval jar alone convinced me to put them in my cart. Once home I found they have a wonderful flavor. In fact I tried two different toppings using these cherries, one made with the light syrup from the jar and another one, one my aunt would have never tried but sounded tempting to me, using tawny port. My tastes having matured since those days in Aunt Hen’s kitchen. I thought the pie was delicious with either topping.

I do love tradition but I also enjoy adapting traditions so they remain relevant to our lives today and the resources we now have available. Whatever your preference, the traditional recipe my aunt copied and shared with me or an updated version using whipping cream and a jar of morello cherries, why not make a Cherry Cheese Pie of your own this February? I think you and your family will be glad you did.

Cherry Cheese Pie with Morello Cherries

Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

8

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

15

minutes

Chilling Time

8

Hours

Enjoy a buttery crumb crust, a luscious cream cheese filling and a flavorful Morello cherry topping in this Cherry Cheese Pie that is perfect for celebrating all things February.

Ingredients

• Crust

• 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs (1 inner packet), crushed

• 3 Tablespoons sugar

• 1/3 cup butter, melted

• Filling

• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

• 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 cup whipping cream, whipped

• Topping

• 1 Jar (24.7 oz) Trader Joe’s Dark Morello Cherries in Light Syrup

• 1 cup cherry syrup from jar or 3/4 cup tawny port

• 1/3 cup sugar

• 1 Tablespoon cornstarch

• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice

• 1 Tablespoons water

• 1/2 vanilla bean

Directions

• To make the crust:
• Mix together the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter. Firmly press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a lightly greased 9-inch pie plate.
• Bake at 325F for 10 minutes. Cool completely.
• To make the filling:
• Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add brown sugar and vanilla, mixing until well combined.
• Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until well combined.
• Spoon filling into the prepared crust. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours.
• To make the topping:
• Mix together the cornstarch, lemon juice and water. Set aside.
• Mix the cherry liquid or tawny port with the sugar in a small saucepan. Drop in the vanilla bean. Heat over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture starts to boil.
• Slowly stir in the cornstarch mixture and add the cherries. Continue to boil, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens, about 1 minute.
• Remove from heat to cool.
• When mixture is cool enough to handle remove the vanilla bean. Split the pod lengthwise and scrape seeds into the mixture. Discard the hull.
• When mixture is cool, spread it on top of the chilled pie filling.
• Return pie to the refrigerator until ready to serve.
• Enjoy!

Notes

• Recipe Source: Adapted from a recipe at CookingLight.com