By Jessie Lehail,

Special to The Post

 

Seven years ago, my sister Ajit and I travelled to Prince Edward Island for a destination wedding. During a day trip around Charlottetown, we stopped at the PEI Preserve Company for lunch. This well-known island gem is famous for its delicious homemade jams, jellies, and honey. Along with a sandwich, Ajit ordered a slice of Raspberry Cream Cheese Pie, and she was smitten. The pie was refreshing and creamy, and offered the perfect balance of tart and sweet. 

It took me six years to recreate and perfect this pie recipe. My version offers a fun update from a traditional pie to tartlets using time-saving, store-bought frozen shells. 

The filling adds just enough sweetness, while the ground cardamom adds a nice surprise.   

 

Ingredients

 

• 1 box of 12 tart shells

• 6-8oz cream cheese, softened

• 1/3 cup powdered sugar (more or less to taste)

• 2 teaspoons lemon juice 

• 1/2 tsp ground cardamom 

• 4 cups frozen raspberries 

• 2/3 cup sugar

• 1 teaspoon ground ginger 

• 3 tablespoons corn starch

• ½ cup water + 1 tablespoon 

 

Pierce the bottoms of the frozen tart shells with a fork and prebake at 375F for 8 to 10 minutes. Cool. For the filling, beat together cream cheese, powdered sugar, cardamom, and lemon juice. Spread on the bottom of the cooled tart shells. Next, start the raspberry compote. Mix the sugar and cornstarch in a medium saucepan. Gradually stir in water and berries and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and cook for about 5 minutes. Cool in refrigerator for about 15-20 minutes. Carefully spoon the raspberry compote on to the filled tart shells. Refrigerate at least 3 hours prior to serving.

 

Jessie Lehail is the author of Indian Influence, a food blog that takes global eats and reinterprets them with a South Asian influence. Visit her blog at www.indianinfluence.ca.