How to Make a Lemon Cream Pie
Preheat the oven., Crush the graham crackers., Combine all the ingredients., Press the crust into a pie plate., Bake the shell., Chill the beaters and bowl., Make the lemon curd., Strain and refrigerate the curd., Whip the cream., Combine the cream...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Preheat the oven.
Lemon cream pie doesn’t get baked, so the graham cracker pie crust must be baked separately so it will hold its shape.
Preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C). -
Step 2: Crush the graham crackers.
Break the graham crackers into quarters and transfer them to a food processor.
Pulse the food processor for about a minute, until the graham crackers have been crushed into coarse crumbs.
Nine crackers will give you about 1½ cups (128 g) of graham cracker crumbs.You can also crush the crackers in a bag if you don’t have a food processor.
Transfer the graham crackers to a sealable plastic bag.
Seal the bag and roll over the crackers with a rolling pin until they're crushed to crumbs. , Transfer the graham cracker crumbs to a bowl.
Add the sugar, salt, and melted butter.
Stir the mixture together to combine all the ingredients.
The mixture should have a crumbly texture, and small clumps of graham cracker crumbs should stick together. , Pour the mixture into a 9-inch (23-cm) pie plate.
Use your hands or the bottom of a cup to press the mixture firmly and evenly into the pie plate.
Spread the mixture so it’s covering the bottom and sides of the dish.Make sure the graham cracker crumbs are spread out evenly, otherwise the pie shell won’t be uniform. , Transfer the shell to the oven.
Bake the shell for nine minutes.
Remove the shell from the oven and set it aside to cool for at least an hour.
To help it cool faster, place the entire pie plate on a metal cooling rack.The pie shell must be fully cooled before you add the filling, otherwise the filling will heat up and won’t set. , The heavy cream in this recipe gets whipped before added to the pie filling.
For the lightest and fluffiest whipped cream, chill a glass or metal bowl and the hand mixer beaters in the fridge for at least an hour before whipping the cream.If you're pressed for time, chill the beaters in the freezer for at least 20 minutes. , Crack the eggs into a heavy-bottomed saucepan.
Add the sugar and lemon zest.
Whisk the mixture until the ingredients are all combined and the eggs are smooth.
Whisk in the lemon juice.
Add the butter and heat the mixture over medium heat.
Whisk constantly as the mixture heats, and don’t let it boil.
The curd is ready when it becomes thick and smooth.
This will take between seven and nine minutes., When the curd is thick and cooked, remove it from the heat.
Place a fine-mesh strainer over a medium mixing bowl.
Pour the mixture into the strainer.
Use a rubber spatula to push the curd through the strainer and into the bowl.
Once strained, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill the curd in the fridge for at least three hours. , Remove the chilled bowl, beaters, and heavy cream from the refrigerator.
Pour the cream into the bowl.
Beat the cream with the hand mixer on medium speed.
Beat for six to seven minutes, until soft peaks begin to form.As an alternative to the whipped cream, you can use 12 ounces (339 g) of softened creamed cheese in this recipe instead.
The cream cheese will produce a heavier and even richer pie filling., Remove the lemon curd from the refrigerator and remove the plastic wrap.
Carefully pour the whipped cream into the lemon curd.
Fold the whipped cream in with a rubber spatula until the two are fully combined.It’s important to fold in the whipped cream gently with a rubber spatula rather than vigorous stirring, because you don’t want to break the air bubbles making the cream fluffy and light. , Transfer the pie filling to the cooled graham cracker pie shell.
Scrape the sides of the bowl with the rubber spatula.
Use the spatula to spread the filling evenly around the pie shell and smooth out the top., Cover the pie with a piece of plastic wrap.
Transfer the pie to the refrigerator and let it set for at least six hours.
You can make this pie a full day in advance.
Leave the pie chilling in the fridge for up to 24 hours before serving.When you're ready to serve the pie, garnish it with your favorite toppings and cut the pie into six or eight even slices. , To make a whipped cream garnish for lemon cream pie, chill the bowl and beaters in the freezer for 20 minutes.
Pour a cup (235 ml) of heavy cream into the bowl, along with a tablespoon (14 g) of granulated or castor sugar and a teaspoon (5 ml) of vanilla.Beat the whipped cream for eight to nine minutes on medium speed, until stiff peaks form.
To garnish the pie, you can either spread the whipped cream over the pie before slicing, or you can garnish each piece with a dollop before serving. , Lemon flavored treats pair very well with fruit, and serving this pie with fresh fruit makes it the ideal summer dessert.
You can layer the fruit onto the pie before you cut it, you can garnish the plate with some fruit, or you can sprinkle some fruit onto each piece before serving.
Good fruit choices to pair with lemon cream pie include any combination of:
Raspberries Blueberries Sliced kiwi Sliced strawberries Blackberries , Candied citrus peel is a zesty and sweet treat that’s often used as a garnish for cakes, ice cream desserts, muffins, and other baked goods.
To garnish the lemon cream pie, slice and plate the individual pieces, and sprinkle each piece and the plate with candied citrus peel.
Any citrus peel would work with this pie, including:
Lemon Orange Grapefruit Lime , Fruit and chocolate is a classic combination, and this includes lemon, which can be paired well with either white or dark chocolate.
Slice and plate each piece of pie.
Hold a block of white or dark chocolate over each piece of pie, and use a vegetable peeler to shave curls off the chocolate and onto the pie.You can also use a cheese grater to garnish the pie pieces with chocolate shavings. -
Step 3: Combine all the ingredients.
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Step 4: Press the crust into a pie plate.
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Step 5: Bake the shell.
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Step 6: Chill the beaters and bowl.
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Step 7: Make the lemon curd.
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Step 8: Strain and refrigerate the curd.
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Step 9: Whip the cream.
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Step 10: Combine the cream and curd.
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Step 11: Fill the pie shell.
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Step 12: Chill and set before serving.
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Step 13: Garnish with more whipped cream.
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Step 14: Top the pie with fresh fruit.
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Step 15: Sprinkle some candied citrus peel on top.
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Step 16: Garnish with chocolate curls.
Detailed Guide
Lemon cream pie doesn’t get baked, so the graham cracker pie crust must be baked separately so it will hold its shape.
Preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C).
Break the graham crackers into quarters and transfer them to a food processor.
Pulse the food processor for about a minute, until the graham crackers have been crushed into coarse crumbs.
Nine crackers will give you about 1½ cups (128 g) of graham cracker crumbs.You can also crush the crackers in a bag if you don’t have a food processor.
Transfer the graham crackers to a sealable plastic bag.
Seal the bag and roll over the crackers with a rolling pin until they're crushed to crumbs. , Transfer the graham cracker crumbs to a bowl.
Add the sugar, salt, and melted butter.
Stir the mixture together to combine all the ingredients.
The mixture should have a crumbly texture, and small clumps of graham cracker crumbs should stick together. , Pour the mixture into a 9-inch (23-cm) pie plate.
Use your hands or the bottom of a cup to press the mixture firmly and evenly into the pie plate.
Spread the mixture so it’s covering the bottom and sides of the dish.Make sure the graham cracker crumbs are spread out evenly, otherwise the pie shell won’t be uniform. , Transfer the shell to the oven.
Bake the shell for nine minutes.
Remove the shell from the oven and set it aside to cool for at least an hour.
To help it cool faster, place the entire pie plate on a metal cooling rack.The pie shell must be fully cooled before you add the filling, otherwise the filling will heat up and won’t set. , The heavy cream in this recipe gets whipped before added to the pie filling.
For the lightest and fluffiest whipped cream, chill a glass or metal bowl and the hand mixer beaters in the fridge for at least an hour before whipping the cream.If you're pressed for time, chill the beaters in the freezer for at least 20 minutes. , Crack the eggs into a heavy-bottomed saucepan.
Add the sugar and lemon zest.
Whisk the mixture until the ingredients are all combined and the eggs are smooth.
Whisk in the lemon juice.
Add the butter and heat the mixture over medium heat.
Whisk constantly as the mixture heats, and don’t let it boil.
The curd is ready when it becomes thick and smooth.
This will take between seven and nine minutes., When the curd is thick and cooked, remove it from the heat.
Place a fine-mesh strainer over a medium mixing bowl.
Pour the mixture into the strainer.
Use a rubber spatula to push the curd through the strainer and into the bowl.
Once strained, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill the curd in the fridge for at least three hours. , Remove the chilled bowl, beaters, and heavy cream from the refrigerator.
Pour the cream into the bowl.
Beat the cream with the hand mixer on medium speed.
Beat for six to seven minutes, until soft peaks begin to form.As an alternative to the whipped cream, you can use 12 ounces (339 g) of softened creamed cheese in this recipe instead.
The cream cheese will produce a heavier and even richer pie filling., Remove the lemon curd from the refrigerator and remove the plastic wrap.
Carefully pour the whipped cream into the lemon curd.
Fold the whipped cream in with a rubber spatula until the two are fully combined.It’s important to fold in the whipped cream gently with a rubber spatula rather than vigorous stirring, because you don’t want to break the air bubbles making the cream fluffy and light. , Transfer the pie filling to the cooled graham cracker pie shell.
Scrape the sides of the bowl with the rubber spatula.
Use the spatula to spread the filling evenly around the pie shell and smooth out the top., Cover the pie with a piece of plastic wrap.
Transfer the pie to the refrigerator and let it set for at least six hours.
You can make this pie a full day in advance.
Leave the pie chilling in the fridge for up to 24 hours before serving.When you're ready to serve the pie, garnish it with your favorite toppings and cut the pie into six or eight even slices. , To make a whipped cream garnish for lemon cream pie, chill the bowl and beaters in the freezer for 20 minutes.
Pour a cup (235 ml) of heavy cream into the bowl, along with a tablespoon (14 g) of granulated or castor sugar and a teaspoon (5 ml) of vanilla.Beat the whipped cream for eight to nine minutes on medium speed, until stiff peaks form.
To garnish the pie, you can either spread the whipped cream over the pie before slicing, or you can garnish each piece with a dollop before serving. , Lemon flavored treats pair very well with fruit, and serving this pie with fresh fruit makes it the ideal summer dessert.
You can layer the fruit onto the pie before you cut it, you can garnish the plate with some fruit, or you can sprinkle some fruit onto each piece before serving.
Good fruit choices to pair with lemon cream pie include any combination of:
Raspberries Blueberries Sliced kiwi Sliced strawberries Blackberries , Candied citrus peel is a zesty and sweet treat that’s often used as a garnish for cakes, ice cream desserts, muffins, and other baked goods.
To garnish the lemon cream pie, slice and plate the individual pieces, and sprinkle each piece and the plate with candied citrus peel.
Any citrus peel would work with this pie, including:
Lemon Orange Grapefruit Lime , Fruit and chocolate is a classic combination, and this includes lemon, which can be paired well with either white or dark chocolate.
Slice and plate each piece of pie.
Hold a block of white or dark chocolate over each piece of pie, and use a vegetable peeler to shave curls off the chocolate and onto the pie.You can also use a cheese grater to garnish the pie pieces with chocolate shavings.
About the Author
Marilyn Howard
Writer and educator with a focus on practical hobbies knowledge.
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