Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Meyer Lemon curd pie


When I think of spring, fruit and fresh baked pies immediately come to my mind. It's funny because before a couple months ago, I had never baked a pie in my life. I wasn't even that crazy about pie, either. I just always associated pie and springtime together. Now that I've actually baked my own few pies, I've grown very fond of them. There's something about baking something of your own for the very first time, that gives you a new found appreciation for the food.

With that being said, let me tell you a little about this lemon curd pie. First off, lemon curd, for those who've never tried it, is one of the easiest things to make ever. It's just lemons, sugar, eggs, and butter. This lemon curd is made from Meyer lemons, the sweeter cousin of the regular lemon. It's sweet and tart, and makes for a great addition to any dessert. Also, it's a must have for this particular pie. Regular lemons will make for a very sour pie.
The crust for this pie is a traditional graham cracker crust. It's buttery, crumbly goodness in every bite and a very easy pie crust to make, for those of you who are like me, and don't really want to spend the time rolling out a traditional flaky, pie crust. (I just don't always have the patience!) Anyways, back to the pie. If I had to compare this to any other pie you may have tried, I would compare it to a key lime pie, one of my absolute favorites! It's sweeter than a key lime pie, but it's got a graham cracker crust and the fruit filling which reminds me of one. It's delicious, refreshing, and easy to make! what more could you ask for in a pie?

Lemon curd pie:
Recipe adapted from Anne Burrell's Meyer lemon curd tart

For the crust:
Recipe adapted from allrecipes.com
  • 1 1/4 cups finely crushed graham crackers
  • 1/4 cup white sugar
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 5 Tbs melted butter
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, mix all of the ingredients together until mixture is thoroughly coated with the butter. Press into an 8 or 9 inch pie plate and bake in the oven for 7-10 minutes, or until crust is golden brown. Set aside.

For the curd:
  • 1/2 cup freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice
  • 6 Tbs butter, cut into pieces
  • 2 Meyer lemons, zested
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • a dash of salt
Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees. Whisk together the eggs, lemon juice, zest, sugar, and salt in a medium sized bowl. Pour the mixture into a small saucepan and bring to medium heat. Whisk constantly, about 10-15 minutes or until mixture has thickened. Slowly, stir in the butter a few pieces at a time until it is thoroughly melted and combined. Pour lemon curd into the prebaked pie shell and bake until the curd has set, about 15-30 minutes depending on your oven temperature. (Note:If curd has not set after 15 minutes, keep checking every 5 minutes after.) Let cool completely before serving. (Note: After it has cooled to room temperature, you can place in the refrigerator for a more chilled pie. Either way tastes great!) Makes 8-12 servings





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