Lemon Cream Pie

My parents, apparantly, used to be cool. They were hip thirty-somethings running the streets in semi-smalltown Racine, Wisconsin. Living the dream, I believe.

Somewhere in there, perhaps after children or steady careers or moving into suburbia, my parents lost all semblence of a social life.

I'm sure you could blame it on the fact that they are amazing parents. They've missed less soccer games than I can count on one hand, and I'm pretty sure my dad saw enough of my sister's equestrian to tide him over for a lifetime.

I believe over the years, they've become comfortable being comfortable. But though they say that group socializing isn't really their thing anymore, both tend to love the excitement of a big city and manage to go out to an Irish pub almost every weekend. This suggests, to me at least, that perhaps with a little reconditioning, they could get their groove back.

So after many years, we entertained for dinner last weekend. It was by no means a big crowd, only my friend and her mother, but what was one small step for mankind, was huge progression for the Davis family. If you're having guests for a springtime fête, try this Lemon Cream Pie, even for finecky dessert eaters. The tart of the lemon with the subtle sweet of the whipped cream and crunch of the graham cracker crust is delightful, and I can assure you, you won't be disappointed!


Lemon Cream Pie
Graham Cracker Crust, Prepared
3/4 cup sugar
5 tablespoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
2/3 cup buttermilk
2 whole eggs
2 whole lemons, juiced (1/2 cup lemon juice)
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla
1-2 tbsp confectioners sugar


1. Crack eggs into a bowl and whisk together to combine. Meanshile, in a heavy saucepan, combine the cornstarch, salt and sugar. Gradually stir in water and buttermilk until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook for 2 minutes or until thickened, stirring constantly.
2. Remove from the heat. Stir a spoonful of hot filling into eggs to temper. Return all to pan, stirring constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat. Stir in lemon juice and peel. Pour into crust. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
3. In a large bowl, whip heavy whippung cream until stiff peaks are just about to form. Beat in vanilla and sugar until peaks form. Make sure not to over-beat, cream will then become lumpy and butter-like. Just before serving, spread whipped topping over filling. Yield: 8 servings.


**You can alter this recipe by using store bought whipped topping (such as Cool-Whip), using 1/2 cup of egg substitute instead of eggs or using bottled lemon juice instead of fresh squeezed. I tried to keep it as homemade as I could, but the above alterations may be a time saver.