A-1 Cheese Cake Pie

This is from a cookbook published I believe sometime between 1976-77 by the Tarzana Aides in California. The recipe was submitted by my grandmother’s sister-in-law, the daughter of a United States Senator (at the time of submission, I believe he was a former US Senator). My grandmother reminisced that when they were having company, Marjorie would volunteer to bring this cheesecake for dessert, and the best part was she always left the extras. But my grandmother did wrap up a piece to send home with her.

I’ve done a little clarifying on the original recipe since apparently graham crackers used to come in a smaller size, the equivalent of half of the current size, so I edited it to half the amount and now it is 9-10 of the modern day size sold. I did a little more editing on some other measurements as well, just to make it a little easier to follow.

The interesting thing about this “cheese pie” is that it is cooked at a higher temperature for a shorter time, something I think is unusual with cheesecakes, but it worked very well; moist, no cracking and simple. Bake this pie the day before you intend to serve it.

A-1 Cheese Cake Pie

9 – 10 Graham crackers, made into crumbs
3 Tbs. sugar
½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ lbs. pound butter (1/2 cup!)
Mix all, pack firmly into a 10 – 12 inch pie dish.

Filling:

Beat 4 eggs until creamy, add:
½ cup sugar
½ tsp. vanilla
Crumble in 2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, beat until creamy. Pour into crust and bake 25 minutes at 375°F. Cool 5-10 minutes.

Topping: Mix-
1 large (16 oz.) carton sour cream
6 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
Spread on pie and bake at 400°F. for 5 minutes. Cool and refrigerate. Serves 12 – 16.