“IT IS PROBABLE THAT THE LEMON IS THE MOST VALUABLE OF ALL FRUIT FOR PRESERVING HEALTH.” Maud Grieve: A Modern Herbal (1931)
Ahhhh Maud….I hope you are right! Then there’s all the more reason we should all eat this sweet, creamy, tangy pie …and often! It’s not that there’s a crazy amount of lemon in this pie that makes it so good. But it’s what’s going on in the layers that makes it incredible. The most concentration of tangy lemon flavor is in the crust. The lemon cream is light and sweet. And then the whipped cream on top is only kissed with the zest of the lemon. So each bite has you puckering, savoring, licking your lips and digging in for more! The secret to the tart, lemony crust is……
…..lemon thins! They are used in place of graham crackers for this crust. And while it is pretty tart, it’s mellowed out by the sweet creamy filling and the cool, lightly sweetened whipped cream! A perfect and refreshing summer dessert!
Ok….to enjoy the medicinal properties of this lemony treat you will need…
Yields: one 9″ pie; 8-10 servings
Level of Difficulty: easy
FOR THE CRUST:
- 1 1/3 package of lemon thins (7.25 oz)
- 2 TABLESPOONS of granulated sugar
- 1 TABLESPOON of freshly grated lemon zest
- 4 TABLESPOONS of unsalted butter, melted
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the cookies in a food processor and pulse until finely crushed. Transfer to a mixing bowl. Add sugar and zest and mix with a fork until combined. Add the butter and incorporate until the mixture clings together. (You may add more butter if the mix is too dry. And I always reserve a few cookies to crumble if the mix is too wet.) Press the crumbs along the bottom and up the sides of a 9 inch pie plate. Bake until lightly browned, about 8-10 minutes. Cool on a rack to room temperature.
FOR THE FILLING:
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk
- 2/3 cup of fresh lemon juice, strained
- 1 TABLESPOONS of freshly grated lemon zest
With a hand mixer, beat the egg yolks on medium high speed until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Continue beating while you slowly pour in the sweetened condensed milk. Beat until thick and creamy about 3 minutes. Add the lemon juice and zest and continue to beat on medium low until combined. Pour the filling into the cooled crust. Bake until the pie is set but still jiggly in the center, about 10-12 minutes. Cool on a rack to room temperature. And then chill 3-4 hours or overnight.
FOR THE WHIPPED CREAM:
- 2 cups of heavy cream
- 4 TABLESPOONS of confectioners sugar
- 2 TABLESPOONS of freshly grated lemon zest
- 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract
In your mixer, beat the cream to soft peaks. Add the powdered sugar, zest and vanilla. Continue beating to medium peaks. You may serve along side the pie. Or layer or pipe onto the pie.
Enjoy!
Anne, I love the quotes that you add to the top of your posts. This pie sounds so refreshing. I love the tartness of lemons, and this sounds so perfect for that. I will have to try using lemon thins for crust, sounds great!
Cassie…thanks and this pie is very refreshing! Tart and sweet! And I love doing the quotes! : )
Oh my that pie looks delicious. So fluffy you could go to bed in it lol. Thanks for the recipe will have to try it soon.
Rita….thanks! And falling asleep in a pile of whipped cream is not such a bad thing! ;- }
Buttery, tangy and creamy..the pie sounds and looks divine!
Thanks so much Angie! : )
Lemon pies are so great! Yours looks awesome! I love that you added lemon zest to the whipped cream! I bet it was fabulous!
I love lemon pies, too. But I like this one especially because it has lemon in every layer! Thanks Stephanie! : )
What a luscious looking pie! Looks fabulous!
Thanks Maris….and luscious describes it well! : )
Wowsa, that is one pretty dessert. Love this one. I bet this tastes even better than it looks. Would be dangerous here, I’d eat the whole thing.
Thanks Kim! That’s a great comment….cuz I feel like most things taste way better than how I photograph them! Definitely refreshing! : )
Mmm what a delicious and perfectly made pie!! Your pictures are gorgeous!
Thanks Kelly….this was a fun summertime pie! : )
Anne, you are a GENIUS! I love this pie!
My father loves lemon meringue pie and I wanted to make him something different on his birthday…this may be it! (that and homemade cheese-itz). His birthday is in March….
In the mean time, I’m bookmarking this baby! As soon as I get on Food Buzz, I’m buzzing it, too! BRAVO!
Ann….my dad’s favorite pie was lemon meringue, also! I bet you could do this and use lemon zested meringue instead of whipped cream! And those homemade cheez-its….I bookmarked that one, too! Glad to have you back! : )
…Buzzed!
You are a doll….my application is in! Woo hoo! : )
My oh my, I really must learn to contain the drool. This is gorgeous!
LOL….thanks Sandra…..I just wear my bib when I visit you! : )
I absolutely love anything lemon. The pie sounds ad looks fantastic. If only I could get the boys to eat lemon treats.
I LOVE lemon, too. Funny….my boys like lemonade….but won’t eat lemon in desserts either! : )
I have never made a lemon dessert before. This sounds wonderful though. I am going to have to make something soon though, I can’t stop drooling over everyone’s lemon treats!
This is an easy pie, Erin. I’ve got to make some lemon bars soon, too! : )
I love lemons almost as much as I love chocolate. And that’s saying a lot. This looks fabulous!
Jeanne….I feel the same way about lemon and chocolate…..pretty equal in my book! And I just want anyone reading this to take a peek at Jeanne’s wonderful blog….especially this lovely little dress she made for her granddaughter! I am in awe at your creativity!!! http://insidenanabreadshead.wordpress.com/2011/08/19/crafty-recycling-a-diy-toddler-dress/
This looks so scrumptious!!! I love a lemon pie that’s sweet but also has a fair amount of tang to it. This definitely fits the bill!
Thank you for sharing
Thanks Holly! I love my lemon pies to have a bit of tang to them, too! : )
I think I gained 5 lbs just from looking at this pie… it looks positively sinful.
I’m a huge fan of anything lemony, so this is right up my alley, lemony cookie crust and all. I must get my hands on some lemon thins so I can make this pie for myself (even though I will probably gain 15 lbs if I eat it)
Isabelle…..that’s why I have a close personal relationship with my treadmill! : )
Ooooooh! Sneaky ninja with the lemon thins! That’s an awesome idea. I love lemony desserts and I think this might just be HEAVEN
Ooooooh! If I were a really GOOD sneaky ninja…..I would have tossed some coconut in there somewhere! This was heavenly….and I hope you try it! : )
Loving the lemon! The pie looks wonderful.
Awwww…..thanks Elle! : )
SUCH a great idea to use lemon thins as the crust. Did you get them from TJ’s??? I like theirs … and I KNOW I’d like this pie! No, no, no… I’d LOVE this pie!
Hello Ms. Tif. I used lemon thins I found at the Giant. I didn’t get to TJ’s this weekend….but I will certainly pick some up next time to have them on hand. This was almost my farewell to summertime pie! : (
This looks really good, I can imagine the smell of the lemon and the tangy taste.
Thanks Nava! I love lemon zest so much….I didn’t want to wash my hands after juicing the lemons! : )
Love lemon pies and the more lemon the better as far as we’re concerned. The photos just make our mouths water, it looks so creamy and delicious!
Hi guys! Thanks! If this photo makes your mouths water….the pie is gonna make your lips pucker! : )
I love lemon! And I love lemon pies. This looks like a nice refreshing change from the lemon meringue pie (which is usually the only lemon pie I make). I’ll have to give this one a try for sure!
I also absolutely adore this crust! I am going to start making all my pies with this crust.
Russell….the best and most lemony part of this pie was the crust! I’ve recently purchased boxes of thin wafers cookies in various flavors like orange and ginger. I think they are an interesting alternative to always making a graham cracker crust. Unless of course…..we are using YOUR HOME MADE graham crackers as the base!!! ;- )