Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

1/2 cup cold butter, cubed

4 tablespoons vegetable shortening

4 tablespoons ice cold water

1 large egg

1 tablespoon water

8 ounces brick-style cream cheese, very well softened to room temperature (filling)

one 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk (filling)

1/3 cup lemon juice (filling)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (filling)

21-oz can cherry pie filling (filling)

Directions:

1. Crust: To a large bowl, add the flour, salt, sugar, and mix with a whisk until combined. Add the butter, shortening and with a pastry cutter or fork, mix until the mixture resembles a coarse meal (pea-sized bits with a few larger bits is ok). Add ice cold water a tablespoon at a time over the flour mixture, and stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula after every tablespoon. Do not add any more water than you need to. Stop adding water when the dough begins to form large clumps. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes, or up to 3 days. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and on a clean table or counter top, sprinkle some flour on the surface and on your rolling pin and roll out the dough into 1⁄4-inch thick and place it into a 9-inch pie pan. Tuck in the extra pie crust if you like your crusts thick, or cut it out. Using a fork, prick holes into the pie crust dough. Line the pie crust with parchment paper or foil, and add a cup of uncooked dry rice on top or 1 cup of dry uncooked beans. Blind bake for 20 minutes and while it bakes, make the egg wash by whisking together the egg and 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl. After 20 minutes, remove the blind baking weights and the parchment or foil, and brush with the egg wash. Bake for another 10 minutes without any parchment, foil or weights. Allow the pie crust to cool completely.

2. Filling: With a handheld electric mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened cream cheese on high speed until smooth, about 3 to 5 minutes depending on how soft it was and how powerful your mixer is. Add the sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and best on medium-high until fully combined Pour the cream cheese mixture into the blind-baked crust. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes, or until set. Add and arrange the cherry pie filling to your liking, and refrigerate for at least more 10 minutes before serving. Best served with a dollop of freshly whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Bon Appetit!