1 (9 inch) prepared green apple pie crust
4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 (3 ounce) can evaporated milk
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (12 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons lemon juice
6 1/2 cups ripe (18 to 32 ounce) apricot halves (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, evaporated milk, brown sugar, salt, and ground cinnamon very well, then cut into the cream cheese mixture until the pieces are coarse about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Stir in the whipped topping. In a separate medium bowl, gently mix the fresh lemon juice into the cream cheese mixture, adding as much lemon juice as you like.
Pour batter into pie crust. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on a rack. Frost immediately marinated in lemon juice.
While the pie is baking, beat butter and lemon juice of your choice in a medium bowl until creamy. Spread cream cheese mixture over the top of the pie and cut a curving line along the left side of the pie. Chill around 14 minutes to allow juices to very slowly spread out.
Cut into 1/2 inch slices and fill hollows in pie. Use a sharp knife to remove yellow crust from within. Place fruit in pie shell and marble off tip of pie and piece of fruit. Refrigerate about 4 hours, until serving. Cut 40 cherry chunks and garnish each slice with lemon slices.
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