Lemon Zest Cream Pie

A Creamy lemon flavored pie, great for parties and get togethers!

Serves 8-10
Prep time: 15 minutes
Total time: 4 hours including refrigeration time

Ingredients



  • Candied Lemon Zest
  • 1 lemon, zested
  • 1/3 cup plus ¼ cup sugar
  • Pastry Crust
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • ½ tablespoon sugar
  • 4 tablespoons chilled butter
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
  • 1 egg, separated
  • 2 tablespoons ice water
  • Lemon Curd
  • 3 eggs
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 6 ounces lemon juice (about 6 lemons)
  • 6 ounces unsalted butter
  • 1 ¼ cup sugar
  • 1 cups heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon sugar

    Instructions:


    For the zest, put the zest in a small saucepan and cover with water. Boil for 3 minutes. Remove zest and dry. Bring 1/3 cup sugar and one tablespoon water to a boil and boil until sugar dissolves. Add zest and boil for 5 minutes. Remove the zest and place on a rack with pan to catch the drippings, cool. Roll zest in remaining ¼ cup sugar.
    For the crust, combine flour, sugar and salt in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Cut butter into 1 inch pieces and combine with flour cutting in until flour resembles coarse crumbs. Beat the egg white lightly, set aside. Add the yolk and ice water to the flour. Gently mix until it holds together. Shape the dough into a round disk, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour. Roll the dough into a 13 inch circle and transfer to a 9 inch pie pan. Trim and roll the trim into long strips. Cut into and twist together. Place along the top of the pie plate. Brush the rim of the pie crust with the egg white. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Adjust the oven rack to low position and cook in preheated 400º F oven for 10 minutes until golden. Remove and cool.
    For the lemon curd, whisk the eggs together in a medium heatproof bowl. Cut the butter into 1 inch pieces and add to the eggs with the sugar. Grate in the zest from the lemons and squeeze in the lemon juice. Set the bowl over simmering water and whisk until curd thickens, about 20 minutes. Refrigerate until chilled. Whip the cream and sugar to firm peaks. Stir 1/3 of the whipped cream into the lemon curd. Fold in the remaining cream and pour the mixture into the cooled pastry crust. Refrigerate at least 2 hours. The Pie can be made a day ahead. Sprinkle with the candied lemon zest and serve.

    Terri’s Tips:

  • Zest can be made weeks in advance and stored sealed in the refrigerator
  • To easily make zest, use a zesting tool
  • Use a pastry cutter to cut butter into flour instead of using your fingers, you want the butter to stay cold.
  • Score the bottom of the crust with fork to avoid it rising.
  • Pie crust can be made the day before or far in advance and frozen.
  • Don’t over whip the cream, it will turn to butter :o) and it will whip faster and better if cream and bowl are cold.
  • Reserve a few dollops of whipped cream for decorating.

    Cooking Wiser:

    • Turn this pie into a Lemon Pie by simply omitting the cream, saving time and calories.
    • Serve with low fat cool whip. Or use low fat or fat free cool whip instead of cream