A Life In Pie: Lindsay's Lemon Pie

My dear friend Lindsay is a very talented writer, editor and graphic designer. She's helped me in the past with a few projects so when I needed a logo designed for the blog of course I turned to her. Lindsay knows I'm a woman who lives a modest lifestyle and when I told her I could only pay her in pie, she was more than understanding. Because she works in a bakery and has access to a myriad of sweets, her initial request was for a savory beef pie of some variety. But when the Denver weather finally decided it was time to warm up, a refreshing lemon pie with raspberries is what milady's heart desired!

There are a lot of recipes out there for lemon "icebox" pies that are usually based on sweetened, condensed milk, aka nectar of the gods. They usually call for adding egg yolks to the pie base, then whipping the whites to make a meringue topping. In my opinion, this kind of creamy lemon pie just screams out for whipped cream so that's how I've always made it, as well its cousin the key lime pie, which we'll be seeing very soon. But I don't like throwing out egg whites or letting them sit in the refrigerator until I decide I'm never going to use them, so I just put the whole egg into the pie.

This pie is perfectly sweet-tart and when topped with whipped cream and raspberries (or any berry of your choice) it's the perfect summer dessert. And because it is so easy to make, you can quickly whip it up to take to any picnic or BBQ with friends.

Lemon Icebox Pie
I used a 9" deep-dish pie pan. If you don't have a deep-dish pan and want to make this recipe even faster, buy one of those large size "2 extra servings" pre-made graham cracker pie crusts.

CRUST
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 stick unsalted butter, melted

FILLING
2 cans sweetened condensed milk
1 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed is highly preferred
zest of one lemon
4 eggs
pinch of salt
Sweetened whipped cream and raspberries to decorate

Combine the butter and crumbs and mix well.

Press firmly into a pie pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Remove the zest from one lemon. Squeeze one cup of lemon juice. This is about 6 to 8 lemons, depending on their size and juiciness.

In a bowl combine the condensed milk, zest, juice, eggs and a pinch of salt. Whisk together until well combined and smooth.

Pour the filling into the pie crust. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 15 to 25 minutes. The filling should be set and will jiggle slightly when you shake the pan. Cool on the counter about 15 minutes then transfer to the refrigerator for at least 6 hours to cool completely.