Addicted.

Did I mention that I have a(n) somewhat addictive personality?  While it is my fatal flaw in some other areas if I allow it, when it comes to cooking, baking and recipe making it makes me super persistent.  I wake up in the night with recipes floating in my head and spend a lot of my mommy "free time" obsessing about what I am going to make next.  The addiction began with the local pie contest last year and still remains.  I have entered 8 recipe contests so far this year.  The next recipe was entered into the Eagle Brand Condensed Milk contest.

http://www.eaglebrand.com/signature_recipe_contest/ContestHome.aspx

 Now, I DO NOT cook with condensed milk on the regular.  I adore it in a cup of Vietnamese coffee, but do not generally like the taste of it in other sweets.  So, this was a challenge. 

Now let me just say, I live in the South, so there is no shortage of recipes using this super sweet ingredient.  I could think of cookies, cookie bars, cheesecakes and maybe even a casserole or two...all made with the stuff.   

I knew I could not compete with my true Southern counterparts. 

I wanted to make something on the lighter side.  I started to imagine my Grandmother's Cranberry Salad recipe as a pie (addiction, there it is again).  I could swap out an ingredient and add the required 14 ounce can of condensed milk and hope for the best. 

This is what emerged:::  and it was oh.so.delicious.  My Grandmother would be proud! 

Frozen Cranberry Salad gone Pie.

I love how the graham cracker crust looks like pink snow covered mountains. 

Perfection. 

I could have cried when it slid so elegantly out of the pan.   

Whole cranberries and crushed pineapple

Walnuts and cream cheese

And somewhere in there is that secret ingredient *wink. 

Frozen Cranberry Pie

Yield:  9 inch springform pan= 10-12 servings

Graham Cracker Nut Crust::

2 cups graham cracker crumbs 

1 cup pecans, finely chopped in food processor 

2 sticks unsalted butter, melted

Filling::

12 ounces cream cheese, softened

8 tablespoons mayonnaise

8 tablespoons lemon juice

2 20 ounce cans crushed pineapple 

2 14 ounce cans whole berry cranberry sauce

2 cups chopped pecans

1 14 ounce can Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk

1 teaspoon salt 

Crust::

Mix graham cracker crumbs and finely chopped pecans in a mixing bowl.  Add melted butter and mix until all pieces of mixture are coated with butter. 

Pour crust mixture into a parchment-lined (bottom only) springform pan.  Using the back of a large spoon, press crust mixture firmly on bottom and up sides of pan.   The entire pan should be covered with crust. 

Cover with plastic wrap and place in freezer while preparing the filling.   Leave in freezer for at least ½ an hour. 

Filling::

Place all filling ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix at slow speed with an electric mixer until all ingredients are combined. 

Pour filling into frozen crust.  Cover well with plastic wrap and freeze until completely frozen through.  Approximately 24 hours.   

Remove from freezer and let sit for up to 15 minutes.  Carefully remove the circular piece of springform pan and slice with a sharp, slightly warm, knife.   Serve immediately. 

Note::  This is a perfect make-ahead dessert for the holidays.  Keeps well in the freezer for up to 4 weeks.