Cinnamon Pie from a Cozy Mystery: The Candy Cane Caper
Delicious, creamy, rich cinnamon pie
Ingredients
Pie Crust
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, chilled
- 2-4 Tbsp ice water
Filling
- 1 8oz package cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup sugar, sifted
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 egg plus 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten (retain the egg whites for the pie crust egg wash)
- 1 cup half-and-half
- 1 tsp vanilla
- ¼ cup melted butter
- 3-4 Tbsp ground cinnamon
- 2 Tbsp flour, sifted
Whipped Cream Topping
- 1 quart heavy whipping cream
- 1 3.4oz box instant Jell-O pudding, cheesecake flavored
- ½ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
To make pie crust
- Combine flour and salt in a large bowl.
- Cut in butter with a pastry cutter, working in one tablespoon of water at a time until smooth dough forms.
- Roll dough out to about 1/4-inch thickness, a few inches larger than your pie plate.
- Put the crust on a 9-inch pie plate. Trim, fold, and pinch crust edges as desired.
- Freeze for 1 hour.
- Brush frozen pie crust with egg wash. Bake the crust for 5 minutes to cook the egg wash.
To make filling
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until light and smooth.
- Add salt, eggs, half-and-half, vanilla, and melted butter; beat until combined.
- Once fully incorporated, add the cinnamon and flour, a bit at a time, making sure it is well combined before adding the next portion.
- Pour the filling into the prebaked pie crust and bake at 350 degrees F. for 40 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow the pie to cool to room temperature before adding topping and slicing.
To make whipped cream topping
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat cream, Jell-O, and sugar on low, increasing speed a little at a time until medium-high speed is achieved.
- Continue beating until stiff peaks form.
- Note: This makes more whipped topping than you need. You can half the recipe, or you can use the topping for other desserts. Topping will keep for up to ten days in the fridge.