Easy Cherry Cream Cheese Pie

The only thing difficult about this pie is waiting for the cheese to soften or the crust to cool down. Other than that it's so easy. I got the recipe from a friend of mine who also recently gave me these CUTE little cutters in the shapes of cherries and leaves so I had to make the pie! I also have a no bake Cream Cheese Cherry pie.

Cherry Cream Cheese Pie

1 Package of refrigerated roll out pie crust (2 crusts) Or make your own
1 (14-15 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature (or 16 ounces for a more cream cheese tang)
1 teaspoon almond extract
21 oz can cherry pie filling
lemon juice the original recipe says 1/3 cup... I just squeeze some in there
Powdered sugar for sprinkling

Unwrap one of the pie crusts and set it into a pie plate.

Crimp the edges if you'd like.

Dock the crust on the sides and bottom with a fork.

Bake it at 450 degrees for about 9-12 minutes until it's lightly browned. Set it aside to cool completely.

Take the other pie crust and unroll it, cut a 7 inch circle out of it. To make things easier I take a pie plate and gently push the bottom of it onto the crust.

With a knife I trim off the edges.

Cut some shapes out of the crust pieces that are leftover if you want.

I adhered the pieces to the crust with a little bit of water.

Bake the top crust at450 degrees for about 6-8 minutes on a cookie sheet, I don't bother greasing the cookie sheet or anything. Watch it closely it will brown fast.

While the crusts cool beat cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk together.

Add lemon juice and almond extract.

Mix well, if the crust hasn't cooled give the filling a head start by storing it in the fridge to start thickening.

Once the crusts have cooled pour the cherry pie filling on to the bottom of the crust in the pie plate, reserve about ... 1/3 of the can of filling.

Spread cream cheese filling over the cherry filling.
Take the reserved pie filling and place it around the edges of the crust. I had a cut out in the center of my top crust so I put some filling there also. Let the pie set for an hour in the refrigerator.

Place the top crust on top, let the pie chill for a few hours in the refrigerator. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.

Leftover sweetened condensed milk?? It's so good in coffee and on bread... YUM!