Zesty Lemon Cream Pie

When I think about the summer I think of barbecues with friends and the most refreshing beverage is a tall glass of ice cold lemonade. This pie is like that lemonade!! This lemon pie is similar to a classic key lime pie, but it’s made with fresh lemon juice and zest instead with a perfect balance of sweet and tart. Since this pie needs to be refrigerated for several hours, it’s a perfect dessert that you can make ahead of time, even a day ahead!

The first thing you want to do is  add the condensed milk, egg yolks, lemon zest and vanilla extract in a large bowl and whisk until well combined. Add the lemon juice and mix until it thickens, a bout 2-3 minutes. I find using fresh lemon juice will make a better pie, but prepackaged juice will still produce a high quality pie.

Once you pie crust is completely cool, add the pie fill and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 20mins until the filling is jiggly but almost set. remove and let cool to room temperature and refrigerate for 3-4 hours.

Once the pie has cooled completely in the refrigerator, whisk the beat heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla on high speed until fluffy, stiff texture is reached (stiff peaks). Top the pie with the whipped cream and garnish with lemon zest and lemon slices to your desire and serve the pie. the pie can be kept up to 3-4 days covered air tight if it not totally eaten by then!