There is nothing better to me when the weather gets warm than cool, lemony treats. Lemon desserts are just some of my favorites. I have had a lot of requests for an "Old Fashioned Lemon Icebox Pie" recipe. Now, sometimes I am not sure everyone is thinking of the same thing when we talk about lemon icebox pie.
There seems to be some confusion about lemon pie, even among some food sites. Lemon Icebox pie is not the same thing as Lemon Meringue Pie. Lemon Meringue Pie has a custard that is cooked before you pour it in the prebaked shell and it is topped with, well, meringue. This is Lemon Meringue Pie:
Lemon Icebox Pie comes in two varieties nowadays. The no bake version that is made with sweetened condensed milk, whipped cream, lemon juice, and sometimes cream cheese. It is a more frozen type of pie and while it's really tasty, it's not really what is the old fashioned type.
The old fashioned pie has egg yolks in it and it's just really creamy and has just the right lemony zest to it. Some recipes do not bake the pie after it's filled, but I know from past experience that so many of you have issues with raw eggs that this recipe does bake the filling. It also does not have a meringue topping, but is topped with whipped cream.
Here is what you will need for this "Old Fashioned Lemon Icebox Pie":
1 graham cracker pie shell ( you can used the premade one or make your own)
1 (14 oz.) can of sweetened condensed milk (like Eagle Brand)
3/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (5-6 lemons juiced, depending on the size and juiciness)
zest of 1 of the lemons
4 egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla
pinch of salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Whisk the sweetened condensed milk and the lemon juice together. In a separate bowl whisk the lemon zest and the egg yolks together until light yellow. You can save the whites of the eggs for another use. Actually they freeze well and can even be thawed and brought to room temp to make meringue for another dessert on another day.
Add the yolks to the lemon juice and milk mixture. Add in the vanilla and pinch of salt.
Pour into the graham cracker crust and bake for 15 minutes in the 350 degree oven. Remove and allow to cool completely on the counter. Cover the pie loosely, not allowing plastic wrap to touch the top of the pie, if you happen to use plastic wrap to cover it. Refrigerate for 3-4 hours before serving. This pie will keep for several days in the fridge (3-4) or you can even freeze it. Just be sure to thaw it before serving for the best results.
Serve with a dollop of whipped cream on top!
