Washington Pie

In honor of President’s Day, I created this recipe. What makes this dessert thematically appropriate is the cherries. February is National Cherry month, and as we all know, George Washington chopped down the cherry tree, but could not tell a lie… Ok, that is a myth, and my history major son would be horrified that I am perpetuating it in any way, but I think it’s a fun story.

Developing this recipe started with a comment from my friend, Lori, who said that she enjoyed “George Washington Pie.” I had never heard of it, and when she described it I thought it sounded like the cherry cheese pie I enjoyed at childhood family gatherings. I loved the graham cracker crust and tangy cream cheese filling that could always be found at the party. Lori agreed that they were similar, but the Washington Pie had Cool Whip… Ok, I draw the line at Cool Whip. It was fun and tasty when I was a kid, but that stuff is nothing but sweet hydrogenated oil, and I know we can do better.

A Little History

I started doing a little research to learn more about this George Washington Pie, and found a number of Washington desserts. First, there is the treat officially named “George Washington Pie” which is not a pie at all, and it’s definitely not what my friend described. The George Washington Pie is a CAKE. In the 1800’s this cake was baked in pie pans which gave it a pie shape, but it is really two layers of vanilla cake sandwiched together with a tart jam. It’s a lot like a Victoria sponge which was also popular at the time.

I also found a Martha Washington dessert. This was more like the pie I was thinking of, but it had a Cocoa Rice Crispies crust. I enjoy a rice crispy treat as much as anyone, but I’m not sure how it gets connected to Martha Washington who, I think it’s fair to say, never baked with Kellog’s Rice Crispies. This dessert did have a layer of cream cheese, then a layer of pecans, topped with cherries.

Putting It All Together

Finally, I found a recipe for George Washington Pie that had some of the elements my friend described, but it still wasn’t quite right. I decided to take elements from George and Martha’s desserts and make something very Presidential. This is a nod to my childhood, my friend’s input, and the Washingtons.

Here’s What You Will Need:

This recipe comes together with a few supplies, many of which you may have on hand. You will want graham crackers, pecans, butter, sugar, cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, lemon juice, heavy cream, and cherries or cherry pie filling. That’s it.

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As a Side Note:

This dessert will hold a special place in my heart. Not only is it reminiscent of a childhood favorite, but it reminds me of how much I’ve grown. When my husband and I first got engaged (at 22-23 years of age- basically babies still), we invited his parents over to make our big announcement. I felt so fancy and grown up hosting a little dinner party, and as someone who has always had a sweet tooth, I prided myself on creating the dessert we would serve. I made a no bake cherry cheese pie that had actual Cool Whip folded into the cream cheese mixture, and it was topped with cherry pie filling from a can. It was sickeningly sweet and full of that hydrogenated oil. My mother in law does not have my sweet tooth and is not typically a dessert eater. She was very kind to have eaten what I made and to have been so complimentary about it. Thank you, Paula, for welcoming me into the family so graciously many years ago!