Pecan Cheesecake Pie

Hi readers! Please meet another one of our awesome new cooks, Connie Cameron!

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I have a genuine love for trying new food recipes. I am a baker by heart and prefer to bake fresh breads and desserts to compliment a savory meal. In my desire for something new and exciting to a normally traditional holiday dessert, I happened upon an idea of combining a couple of things that most people either love or hate into one delicious pie recipe.

I work at a pecan store and I wanted to incorporate our pecans into my dessert to promote our company, along with the idea that this dessert should be eaten and enjoyed year-round and not just during the holidays. It was a big hit!

Here is the simple recipe for this wonderful dessert! Enjoy!

Pecan Cheesecake Pie

by Connie Cameron
Adapted from the recipe Pecan Cheesecake Squares presented by Positively Splendid

For the cheesecake layer:

16 ounces of cream cheese, softened prior to using (cream cheese usually comes in 8-ounce packages)
1/2 cup of granulated sugar
1/2 cup of whole milk
2 teaspoons of vanilla (I prefer to use pure vanilla instead of vanilla extract, but either option is okay to use)
1 9-inch prepared pie shell (if you are running short on time and do not want to make your own dough, Pet Ritz or Pillsbury makes a wonderful dough that bakes up nicely with this recipe)

For the pecan pie layer:

3/4 cup of firmly packed brown sugar (I prefer the dark brown, but you can use light brown sugar if you prefer)
1/2 cup of corn syrup (I prefer to mix the dark and the light together as it gives a dimension of flavor that just light corn syrup leaves out)

1/3 cup of butter, melted and cooled
3 eggs, beaten
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla (again I prefer to use pure vanilla instead of vanilla extract, but either option is okay to use)
1 1/2 cups of pecans (I prefer to use chopped pecans in the recipe and then whole pecans to decorate the top of the pie with)

Preheat oven to 350°F.

For the cheesecake layer:

Place your cream cheese in a large bowl and beat on medium speed until smooth. Add in sugar and milk and beat until combined (about 2 minutes). Then add your vanilla and beat until well blended.

Pour this mixture into your unbaked pie shell and place on the middle rack of your oven and bake for 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool slightly (approximately 10 minutes).

For the pecan pie layer:

In a medium bowl, combine 3/4 cup brown sugar, corn syrup and melted butter and mix until well combined. Gently mix in the eggs, salt and vanilla until completely incorporated. Stir in 1 1/2 cups of pecans and pour mixture over your cooled cheesecake layer.

Bake for approximately 40-50 minutes, or until the center of the pie is set and the pecan pie layer is light brown in color.

I know that each person who tries this recipe will fall in love with the taste. It does not taste like a cheesecake nor does it taste like a pecan pie. The combination is something that you just have to taste for yourself to believe. It is just that good! Enjoy!