Lemon Cream Pie
We’re mixing things up this Thanksgiving with a new take on a classic pie. Lemon cream pie isn’t the typical fall dessert, but this recipe is a showstopper and is perfect for festive occasions. Its tartness is perfectly balanced by the sweet creamy filling, while the crust provides a satisfying crunch. We hope you enjoy this delicious recipe!
This recipe can be made vegan using vegan graham crackers, vegan butter, maple syrup, sweetened condensed coconut milk and non-dairy whipped topping. We have all these ingredients available for purchase at the Co-op.
Ingredients:
Crust:
2 packages of graham crackers
12 T butter
½ cup honey
Filling:
1 can sweetened condensed milk
½ cup fresh lemon juice
2 Tsp lemon zest
2 cups heavy cream
Topping:
Lemon Slices
1/2 cup heavy cream
½ Tsp cornstarch
Instructions:
Find the pan you’d like to use for this recipe and set it aside. This recipe makes a lot of filling, which requires you to use a dish with tall sides to hold it in. I recommend using an 8-inch pie pan with tall sides, about 2 to 3 inches tall. You can also use an 8-inch springform pan, which is what I used for this pie. Alternatively, you can also split this recipe into 2 pies in a standard-height pie pan. Just be mindful of the size of your pan.
Crush your graham crackers until they are the texture of coarse sand, with no large chunks of graham cracker left.
Melt your butter in a small saucepan or in a small bowl in the microwave.
Add your butter and honey to the ground graham crackers. Stir until fully combined.
Pat your crust into your pan in an even layer, creating a wall of crust along the side. Set your crust aside to make your filling.
Zest your lemons and put your lemon zest into a medium bowl.
Juice your lemons. Measure the juice and add it to your bowl.
Add your sweetened condensed milk to the lemon juice and zest and stir until combined.
In a large bowl, add your heavy cream and whip it on high with a hand mixer until you reach stiff peaks. Your whipped cream has reached stiff peaks when it stands on its own and makes defined ribbons and peaks as you’re whipping it.
Add your whipped cream to the lemon mixture. Gently fold the ingredients together until fully combined, careful to avoid deflating the whipped cream.
Spoon your filling into your crust. Make the surface level and smooth using a spatula or spoon.
Allow the filling to set in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight before decorating.
To decorate your pie, add your heavy cream and cornstarch to a bowl and whip it into stiff peaks. The cornstarch will help the whipped cream keep its shape for a longer period of time. Pipe the whipped cream onto the pie using a piping bag or a sandwich bag with the corner cut off. I recommend going in short puffs around the edge of the pie, as shown in the photo.
Slice your lemons and place them on your pie in the pattern of your choosing.
Your pie is ready to serve. Enjoy!
