Every Sunday I do our grocery shopping for the week, and this past weekend I couldn't help but notice that lemons were on sale. So, on impulse, I bought a bag full of them. I know it sounds strange, but I love everything about lemons: I love the smell of freshly squeezed lemon juice, I love their bright and cheerful color, and I love how they make me think of summertime.
I immediately came home from the store and decided on a lovely...and lemony... menu for one of our weeknight dinners. In celebration of our newly painted kitchen (more on that later), and since I was home from work just a tad earlier than usual, tonight worked out perfectly. On the menu: chicken piccata, lemon orzo, and a lemon cream pie for dessert!
The chicken and orzo were absolutely divine, and I will most certainly use those recipes again. They would be wonderful dishes to serve at a dinner party, or even a casual dinner with guests. Even the lemon cream pie was light and delicious!
I don't usually make pies, for several reasons, but the idea of a lemon cream pie was much more appealing than a lemon cake when I was trying to think of a refreshing summer dessert. I found the recipe (posted below, of course) in the May 2011 issue of my Cooking Light magazine and it immediately appealed to me because it didn't call for me to make my own crust. Making pie crust absolutely terrifies me, mostly because I just can't seem to get it right. This recipe, however, seemed to be easy enough, and it really was! I hope you try it out and enjoy it as much as I did :-)
Ingredients:
1/2 pkg refrigerated pie dough (such as Pillsbury)
Cooking spray
1/2 c sugar
1 tbs grated lemon rind, divided
1/4 c fresh lemon juice
3 tbs cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
2 lg eggs
1 1/2 c fat free milk
1/4 c (2 oz) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
2 tbs butter, softened
1 1/2 c frozen fat-free whipped topping, thawed
Roll dough into a 12 inch circle; fit into a 9 inch pie plate coated with cooking spray. Fold edges under, and flute. Bake pie crust according to package directions. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Combine sugar, 2 1/2 tsp rind, lemon juice, cornstarch, salt, and eggs in a large bowl and stir well. Combine milk and cheese in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook until tiny bubbles form around the edge of the mixture, but do not boil. Gradually add the hot milk mixture to the sugar mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk. Return milk mixture to pan, and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, or until thick and bubbly, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in butter.
Place pan in a large bowl filled with ice for 10 minutes or until the mixture cools to room temperature, stirring occasionally. Spoon the filling into the prepared crust and cover surface of filling with plastic wrap. Chill for 3 hours or until set, and remove plastic wrap. Spread the whipped topping evenly over chilled pie, and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 tsp lemon rind.
Lemon Cream Pie
The pie was SO good! Thanks for sharing. =)
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