A Week of Pie Crusts #3: Blueberry Cream Cheese Pie with Pretzel Crust

Okay, technically, this isn't a pie. It's like an icebox cake or something. But it still has an original gluten free crust that you could use for whatever recipe might call for a pretzel crust. There's a really good strawberry one out there somewhere, I just haven't tracked down the recipe yet. And, by now you are probably thinking, "Does every crust recipe she makes have butter in it?" And the answer is yes! There's no other way around it. You need something that will moisten the crust enough so that it can stick together and something that will brown when you toast it. Butter it is. And please, please, please for the love of all that is gluten-free, use real butter. I do not ever want to receive an email from someone who bakes with margarine. That is just wrong. Now, on to our little recipe for the day.

I wanted to do something salty and sweet. And with this crust you have the option to be saltier or sweeter, which is nice. I used one small bag of the EnerG Gluten Free pretzels and crushed them in a ziploc bag with a rolling pin. Then I tossed the crumbs with 5 T of melted butter and 2 T of sugar. If you want a really salty crust, omit the sugar. I took out a handful of pretzel crumbs for a garnish and set them aside. I pressed the rest of the crust into the bottom only of an 8x8 pan. You could easily double this to fit a 9x13 pan. Then I toasted them in a 375 degree oven for about 10 minutes. When it cooled, I took 15 ounces (about half the jar) of the Baker brand pie filling and spread it over the top of the crust. (Use the whole jar if you are doing a 9x13 pan.) I love this pie filling because they divulge exactly what is in their filling on the label. They say where their modified food starch is derived from, that they use tapioca flour, and I can pronounce every word on there. Plus it tastes pretty good.

Then I created a cream cheese frosting layer to go over the top of the blueberries in my stand mixer. I put one package of softened cream cheese, the rest of my softened stick of butter (3 T), and 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar in the mixer and let it beat until it's nice and creamy. I'm somewhat of a purist, though, and next time I make this I think I'll leave out the butter. I like the tanginess of the straight cream cheese. But you may like it this way better. It's not bad. It actually makes it spread a little easier. I spread that over the top and then added my little pretzel crumbles to the top. Let this refrigerate for at least an hour (two to three is better) and use a squared spatula to serve it. It works a little easier in the square pan.

It may not come out looking like much, but it tastes great! You could substitute cherries or strawberries or raspberries, if those are your favorite flavors, provided you find a gluten free canned filling. Or, of course, you could make your own!

Happy eating!