It’s not hard to make a delicious dessert for your family. In fact, it’s as easy as sliding this pie into the freezer and letting cold air work its magic! This Orange Cranberry Almond Freezer Cheesecake Pie is fluffy, delicious and has the perfect level of zest to it. The sugared cranberries on top add another layer of flavour – this is a pie that’s made to be shared.
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 12 servings
Ingredients
For the crust
- 250 g / 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 60 g / 2/3 cup almond flour
- 2 g / 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 2 g / 1/4 tsp salt
- 114 g / 1/2 cup Mirage margarine
- 133 g / 2/3 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 5 ml / 1 tsp pure almond extract
For the filling
- 250 g / 1 cup brick-style cream cheese, room temperature
- 180 ml / 3/4 cup condensed milk
- 30 ml / 2 tbsp orange juice, freshly squeezed
- 6 g / 1 tbsp orange zest, finely grated
- 5 ml / 1 tsp pure almond extract
- 2 ml / 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 160 ml / 2/3 cup whipping cream
For the cranberries
- 200 g / 1 1/2 cup sugar, divided
- 4 strips orange peel
- 240 ml / 1 cup water
- 210 g / 2 cups cranberries, washed and dried
- orange zest, finely grated
- sliced almonds, lightly toasted
Directions
Crust
1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Have ready a 10 x 1 inch (25 x 2.5 centimetre) round tart tin, with a removable bottom, lined with a parchment round.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the Mirage margarine with the sugar until smooth; about 2 minutes.
4. Add the egg and pure almond extract. Blend on medium speed until fully incorporated.
5. Add in half of the dry ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Add in the remainder of the dry ingredients. Start on low speed until mostly combined then increase to medium speed and mix; 1 minute.
6. Flatten and wrap dough in plastic wrap. Place into the fridge to chill; about 15 minutes.
7. Press chilled dough evenly into the bottom and sides of the tart tin; about 1/4 inch (6 millimetre) thick.
9. To prevent the sides of the tart from potentially sliding down, place a piece of parchment paper that is large enough to go up the sides of the tart and fill with baking beans or rice. Place the baking sheet into the preheated oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until lightly golden.
10. Carefully lift off the bean-filled parchment. Place tart shell back into the oven to finish crisping up; another 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
Filling
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the cream cheese until smooth and fluffy. Add in the sweetened condensed milk, orange juice, orange zest and extracts; blend until thoroughly incorporated.
2. In a chilled bowl, whip the whipping cream using an electric mixer, until thickened.
3. Transfer a third of the contents into the bowl of the stand mixer with the cream cheese mixture. Blend to loosen. With a rubber spatula, gently fold in the remaining whipped cream.
4. Transfer and smooth contents into the cooled tart shell. Place into the freezer to firm up; at least 4 hours.
Cranberries
1. Place 1 cup (200 grams) of the sugar into a shallow dish. Set aside.
2. In a small saucepan, combine the remaining sugar and the strips of orange peel with the water. Place onto medium heat and stir. Bring mixture to a simmer. Remove from heat and allow to cool. This will allow the orange peel to infuse its flavour into the syrup.
3. Once the simple syrup has cooled, carefully drop batches of cranberries into the syrup. With a slotted spoon, lift the cranberries out and shake off the excess syrup.
4. Place cranberries into the shallow dish of sugar. Shake the dish to coat the cranberries. Place sugar coated cranberries onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper to dry completely; about 10 minutes.
5. When ready to serve, unmold frozen cheesecake pie from the tin and place onto the desired platter or cake stand. Garnish with the sugared cranberries. Finely grate some orange zest onto the pie and/or sprinkle with toasted almond slices (optional). Wait 10 minutes before slicing into the frozen pie with a sharp chef’s knife. Keep leftovers, well wrapped, in the freezer.
Chef’s Notes
- This freezer cheesecake pie can be made 1 month in advance, if wrapped well in plastic wrap and foil, or in an airtight container. The cranberry garnish should be made the day before or day of the event.
- Dip the chef’s knife into hot water, and dry with a clean towel before slicing this frozen pie.
