lap of lemon luxury

Contrary to how it may seem based on my plethora of posts about lemon goodies, I don't really get excited about the whole sweet-tart combination in desserts.

You won't catch me ordering key lime pie, no sir. Not when there are things like coconut cake to be had.

Some people love a tangy, not-so-sweet treat, though, my significant other included. For that reason, I've found myself looking for variations on key lime pie (one of his favorites) and other desserts making use of tart fruits. When I spotted this pie on Mel's fantastic blog, I made plans to try it immediately.

As usual, Mel didn't disappoint. I may have changed up her recipe a little, but the result was the same. The filling is super creamy, and the balance between sweet and tart leans slightly in favor of tart, but not too much. Since Mel stated that the topping made using sweetened condensed milk began to weep after a short while, I opted to use traditional sweetened whipped cream instead--it was more convenient for my purposes.

This pie gets two thumbs up from my boyfriend and one thumb up from me, which is probably as much as I'll ever give any lemon dessert.

Pucker Up Lemon Pie
(adapted from this recipe)
Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cups graham crackers crumbs
• 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ginger
• 5 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 (14-ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk
• 3 egg yolks
• 3/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Zest from one lemon

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Mix the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, salt, ginger, and butter in a bowl and toss with a fork until combined and crumbly. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Bake the crust for 8-10 minutes, until it is just beginning to brown. Cool the crust completely on wire rack.
Once the crust is cool, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Whisk the condensed milk with the egg yolks until smooth. Slowly whisk in the lemon juice. Pour the filling into the cooled crust and bake the pie until the edges are just set but the center still jiggles when the pie plate is lightly moved, about 15 minutes.
Let the pie cool completely on a wire rack and then cover and refrigerate until well-chilled and set, about 3 hours or up to 24 hours.
When ready to serve, using an electric stand mixer or handheld mixer, whip the cream, sugar, and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Spread the whipped topping over the pie. Sprinkle the top with lemon zest. Chill the pie until ready to cut into slices and serve.