Max’s Super Cheese Pie

There was a steak house in Palo Alto that made a wonderful dessert – Maerd Eip (Dream Pie spelled backwards.)  This is the same pie a la Good Housekeeping.  Guess what – I was wrong.  This is close, but no cigar, to the real Mared Eip.  Thanks to JP for contributing the REAL Mared Eip.  

Ingredients:

  • 1 graham cracker crust, unbaked
  • 12 oz cream cheese, softened (block not cream cheese spread)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 c sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 c sour cream
  • strawberries, peaches, or, for Maerd Eip, cherry sauce

Crust Ingredients:

  • 1 1/3 c graham cracker crumbs (18 single crackers)
  • 1/3 c brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/3 c butter, melted

Crust Directions:

Mix and press into buttered 9″ pie pan.

(You can buy these things now, you know?)

Filling Directions:

  1. Preheat oven 350°.
  2. Beat cream cheese until soft.
  3. Add sugar.
  4. Add eggs, one at a time.
  5. Add vanilla.
  6. Turn into pie shell.
  7. Bake 35 minutes.
  8. Gently spread sour cream on warm pie.
  9. Cool.
  10. Top with fruit

Cherry Sauce Ingredients:

  • ½ c sugar
  • 2 tsp almond extract
  • 2 pound frozen pitted sweet cherries, defrosted, 6 cups
  • ¼ c water
  • ½ tsp almond extract

Cherry Sauce Directions:

  1. Combine the cherries and their liquid with sugar, and ½ cup water in a large pan.
  2. Bring to a simmer over moderate heat and cook about 3 minutes.
  3. Remove the cherries to a bowl with a slotted spoon.
  4. Raise the heat to medium-high and boil until the liquid is reduced to approximately ½ cup, about 5 minutes more. Watch – it will boil over!
  5. Pour sauce over the cherries.
  6. Add almond extract.
  7. Let cool to room temperature or chill.

Serves: 6 – 8

Source: Good Housekeeping Cook Book

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4 comments

  1. Niqqi says:

    I grew up with my mom making this recipe. I’ve also made it all of my adult life (I am now 58). The only difference is we use the recipe doubled, in a 9 x 13 pan.
    I notice this recipe says to spread the cream cheese over the warm pie, but should have read ‘spread the sour cream over the warm pie’. Just wanted to let you know 🙂

  2. Vicki says:

    I ate at Scotty Campbell’s many times growing up in the 1950’s, early 1960’s. I didn’t remember their cheesecake being called “Maerd Eip”, but I DO remember it being the best cheesecake I ever ate. With all due respect, the above recipe, while it may be delicious, is NOT the recipe they used. I was so hoping it would be!

  3. PJ says:

    Meard Eip…My dad was restauranteur Scotty Campbell’s physician. My mother was able to get the recipe out of Scotty himself. This is verbatim from my mother’s recipe box:
    Crust: 8 Graham Crackers, crushed
    1/2 oz vanilla
    2TBL sugar
    1-1/2 TBL butter
    Combine, press in to 8″ shell tin. Bake at 350 for 5min. Cool.
    Filling: Blend in order: 8oz cream cheese, 1/4 C sugar, 1/8 LB butter, 1/4 C lemon juice, 1/2 C whipping cream. Beat til smooth.
    Topping: 1/2 #2 can red pitted cherries, 1/4C sugar, 2oz brandy, 1-1/2 Tsp corn starch, 1-1/2 TBL red food color (yes that’s what it says!) Combine in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir until thickened.
    Fill the crust with cream cheese mixture. Chill thoroughly.
    Cut in to individual servings and spoon over the cherry Topping. (My mom always said this: “Good-Oh!”

  4. PJ says:

    Although the MENU claims it has eggs, the RECIPE I and my mother have made often does not mention eggs. The recipe is NO BAKE
    The recipe in BH is not the Scotty’s recipe.
    This is from Scotty Campbell himself

    Meard Eip
    Crust: 8 Graham Crackers, crushed
    1/2 oz vanilla
    2TBL sugar
    1-1/2 TBL butter
    Combine, press in to 8″ shell tin. Bake at 350 for 5min. Cool.
    Filling: Blend in order: 8oz cream cheese, 1/4 C sugar, 1/8 LB butter, 1/4 C lemon juice, 1/2 C whipping cream. Beat til smooth.
    Topping: 1/2 #2 can red pitted cherries, 1/4C sugar, 2oz brandy, 1-1/2 Tsp corn starch, 1-1/2 TBL red food color (yes that’s what it says!) Combine in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir until thickened.
    Fill the crust with cream cheese mixture. Chill thoroughly.
    Cut in to individual servings and spoon over the cherry Topping. (My mom always said this: “Good-Oh!”

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