Lemon Cloud Pie

http://community.jeroxie.com/groups/cookbook-challenge/

  

The current CookBook Challenge theme is American. I decided to do a recipe from Pillsbury's Best of the Bake-Off Cookbook (published in 1996), because the Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest is such a classic American event. This recipe for lemon cloud pie was a prize winner in the 11th Bake-Off in 1959 and was submitted by Shirley Ordiway of Jamesville, New York. 

Before we get to the recipe, I need to complain about this:

 This happens every time I make a one-crust pie with refrigerated dough. Do I just need a pie pan with shorter sides, or am I doing something wrong? I follow the directions so carefully. And if I make a filled pie, it turns out perfect. Oh well, it's rustic, right?

Anyway....

1 refrigerated pie crust (from 15-oz. package)

FILLING:

1 cup sugar

3 tbsp cornstarch

1 cup water

1/3 cup lemon juice

2 egg yolks, slightly beaten

1/2 (8-oz.) package (4-oz.) cream cheese, cubed, softened

1 to 2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

1/2 cup whipping cream

TOPPING:

1/2 cup whipping cream, whipped (with powdered sugar to taste)

Heat oven to 450F. Prepare pie crust according to package directions for one-crust baked shell using a 9-inch pie pan. Bake at 450F for 9 to 11 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely.

 In medium saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch; mix well. Stir in water, lemon juice, and egg yolks.

Cook over medium heat until mixture thickens and boils, stirring constantly. Boil 1 minute.

Add cream cheese and lemon peel, stirring until cream cheese is melted and mixture is smooth. Cool to room temperature.

In large bowl, beat 1/2 cup whipping cream until soft peaks form; fold into lemon mixture. Spoon filling mixture evenly into cooled baked shell. Cover surface with plastic wrap; refrigerate 6 to 8 hours or overnight. Spoon or pipe whipped cream over filling. Garnish as desired. Store in refrigerator.

 So fancy.

When I was making the filling for this, I thought it was going to turn out as a slightly creamier lemon meringue pie without the meringue. It actually turned out creamier and fluffier than I thought it would. It was delicious, and I will definitely be making it again.

Grilled Corn on the Cob with Orange-Basil Butter

 

http://community.jeroxie.com/groups/cookbook-challenge/ 

The current Cookbook Challenge theme is Outdoors. I think it would have been neat to do a recipe that involved ingredients grown in my own garden, but it's much too early in the year for that, so I had to settle for an outdoor grilling recipe. Luckily, I had just gotten my husband a small gas grill for Christmas. Despite the cold, often rainy weather, we've been grilling things nearly every weekend. It's not just for Summertime! Since I'm mostly a vegetarian, I picked out a recipe that didn't involve grilling any meat. Not that I have a problem with cooking or working with meat, I just wanted to make something that I could eat.

This is from Best of Weight Watchers Magazine: Volume 1, published in 2002. I don't do Weight Watchers, but I came across this cookbook for very cheap at a thrift shop and it has a lot of good recipes, so I had to get it. If you do Weight Watchers, each ear of corn is 2 points (or 111 calories) if made with light butter.

4 ears fresh corn

2 tbsp light butter, softened

1 tsp grated orange rind

1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar

1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp salt

freshly ground pepper, to taste

Spray the grill with nonstick spray; prepare the grill for a medium-hot fire. Husk the corn and remove any corn silk. Lightly spray the corn with nonstick spray and grill, turning occasionally, until tender, about 6 minutes.

 

No awesome grilling action shots, as it was too dark outside.

Meanwhile, combine the butter, orange rind, vinegar, sugar, basil, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.

 

Brush the grilled corn with the orange-basil butter and serve immediately.

 

These turned out really great! It was a flavor combination that I had never tried before, and I was pleasantly surprised by how well it worked.

If you don't have an orange or dried basil on hand, try lemon and thyme or cumin and cayenne!