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.