This amazing Lemon Pie is extremely easy to make (with only six ingredients!) and I can pretty much guarantee you that it will be gone in a few hours. That’s how good it is.
It’s a slightly edited recipe from the Magnolia Table cookbook, created by Joanna Gaines from the incredibly popular Fixer Upper-TV shows. This now-ended show is aired in the Netherlands too and I always love to watch those stylish Texas home transformations. I find it just as fascinating to see how this popular show has turned into all kinds of businesses and product lines: from an entire Target collection to realtor services and from paint to children clothes. And into a cookbook that I just had to take home after my last US trip.
The Magnolia Table cookbook is focused on gatherings and offers lots of recipes from the Gaines family. Most of the times, celebrity cookbooks are written by a team of recipe developers and copywriters (I speak from experience!), but it seems Joanna was actually very involved in making this book. I absolutely love to notice how personal the recipes and stories are.
One of the recipes that immediately caught my eye was this Lemon Pie, which got raving reviews online. For good reason, because this pie is a keeper and I’ve already baked it several times, which is pretty unique.
I tweaked the original recipe a little bit, because I prefer my pies a little less sweet, but you can just add extra sugar in the crust and whipped cream topping if you got a sweeter tooth.
This pie is the perfect combination of a crisp, golden brown cookie crust with a creamy sweet and sour lemon curd-like crème inside and a feathery light cream layer on top. Crazy good.
INGREDIENTS
makes 1 pie
1½ cups (about 180 g) crushed graham crackers
6 tbsp salted butter, melted
28 oz (2 cans) sweetened condensed milk
3 egg yolks
⅔ cup (160 ml) fresh lemon juice (from 3 to 4 lemons)
pinch of sea salt
1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream
optional: 1 tsp vanilla extract
lemon slices and grated lemon zest, for garnishing
extra: 9-inch (21cm) pie plate, greased + mixer
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350ºF/175C.
In a large bowl, combine the crushed graham crackers and the melted butter until well blended. Press the cracker mixture onto the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pie plate. Bake until firm, about 8 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl with a handheld electric mixer), beat the condensed milk, egg yolks, lemon juice, and salt on medium speed for 4 minutes.
Pour the mixture into the baked pie crust. Return to the oven and bake until the center is set when the pan is gently nudged, about 10 minutes.
Cool the pie on a rack for 30 minutes. Place in the refrigerator until set, at least 1 hour and up to 3 days.
Spread the cream on the cooled pie and garnish with the lemon slices and zest.
