The Golden Girls, the beloved 1980s television characters whose home at 6151 Richmond Street in Miami framed nearly every opening scene of the show, were always gathering around a cheesecake. Bakers and authors Chris Taylor and Paul Arguin wanted to pay tribute to the ladies of their favorite show, and do so in this berry cheesecake with a nutty crust. “The flavors each represent one of the show’s four characters,” the bakers write in their new cookbook, The New Pie. “A pecan crust for Georgia-born Southern belle Blanche Devereaux; Italian limoncello liqueur for the mom-and-daughter duo Sophia Petrillo and Dorothy Zbornak; and Scandinavian lingonberry jam to represent St. Olaf Woman of the Year Rose Nylund.” Lingonberries taste sweet-tart like cranberries, but any red berry preserve would do here—raspberry or strawberries in season would be a nice Southern touch.
The 6151 Richmond Pie
For the Pecan Graham Cracker Crust:
½ cup pecan halves
3 tbsp. sugar
Pinch of salt
9 graham cracker sheets
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
For the Filling:
¼ cup limoncello
2½ tsp. unflavored powdered gelatin
24 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1¼ cups confectioners' sugar
Pinch of salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1¼ cups heavy cream
⅔ cup lingonberry jam or other red berry preserves
Preparation
- Make the Pecan Graham Cracker Crust: In a food processor, process the pecans with the sugar and salt until the mixture is fine, then add the graham crackers and pulse until they are finely ground. Pulse in the melted butter until the crumbs are moistened throughout. Transfer the mixture to a 9½-inch deep-dish pie pan. Using your fingers, spread the crumbs evenly around the bottom and up the sides. Using a sturdy cup or small bowl, compact the crumbs into a smooth even layer. Preheat oven to 350°F, and place the crust in the freezer to chill for at least ten minutes. Bake the crust for ten minutes on the middle rack. Remove and set aside to cool.
- Make the filling: Add the limoncello to a small microwave-safe bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin over the top and set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth using a hand mixer on medium speed (or using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment). Reduce the speed to low and beat in the confectioners’ sugar, salt, and vanilla; increase the speed to medium and beat until just combined.
- Microwave the gelatin mixture for 20 to 30 seconds, stirring every 5 seconds, until the gelatin has dissolved and the mixture is just bubbling at the edges. Beat the warm gelatin into the cream cheese mixture.
- While mixing, slowly pour in the cream and continue beating on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour the filling into the prepared crust and smooth the top. Dollop the jam over the top of the filling. Using the back of a spoon or an offset spatula, create swoops and swirls on the top of the pie, incorporating the jam into the swirls in a design of your choosing.
- Refrigerate the pie for at least 6 hours before serving. (Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up 3 days. Wrapped tightly in foil and placed in a large zippered plastic bag, this pie can be frozen for up to 1 month.)
Reprinted from The New Pie: Modern Techniques for the Classic American Dessert. Copyright © 2019 by Chris Taylor and Paul Arguin. Photographs copyright © 2019 by Andrew Thomas Lee. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Penguin Random House, LLC.Garden & Gun has affiliate partnerships and may receive a portion of sales when a reader clicks to buy a product. All products are independently selected by the G&G editorial team.