Monday, April 18, 2011

Creamy Dreamy Lemon Berry Pie

Article first published as Creamy Dreamy Berry Lemon Pie on Blogcritics.







This quick and very easy lemon pie, slightly reminiscent of cheesecake, comes together in a snap.  Surprise – it’s also relatively diet-friendly, thanks to some reduced fat products.  Kids and adults will love this and it is a wonderful showcase for springtime’s gorgeous berries.  You can certainly make the crust yourself, but I’m cheating today and using a pre-made graham cracker crust.  Also, you can use store-bought whipped topping, but I prefer from scratch….and happen to have some heavy cream on hand. We plan to have this tonight with some shrimp and baby vegetable risotto. Bon Appetit!

Ingredients

1 reduced Fat Graham Cracker Crust
2 large eggs
1 (11 oz.) can of fat free sweetened condensed milk
4 oz. reduced fat cream cheese
½ cup fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp lemon zest
fresh berries
Whipped cream

Preheat oven for 15 minutes.  In mixed, combine cream cheese and eggs until smooth.  Add in sweetened condensed milk and continue beating until fluffy.  Add lemon juice and lemon zest and beat for 2 minutes at medium speed.  Pour into graham cracker crust, and place pie on a baking sheet.  Bake on middle rack in over for about 15-20 minutes, or until the center appears firm.  Cool at room temperature, place plenty of mixed berries on top, and then chill until ready to serve.  This pie is best served cold with a dollop of fresh whipped cream.

To make whipped cream, put ½ cup heavy whipping cream in a standard mixer together with about 2 Tbsp white or brown sugar.  Add ½ tsp vanilla and best on medium until soft peaks form.  Can be made and held in refrigerator for several hours ahead of serving and will stay fresh for reuse for at least 2-3 days.       

No comments:

Post a Comment