Love to snack on lemon meringue pie but have a hard time making your own at home? Why not try making a snack that's similar in taste but much easier to execute, namely the classic lemon pie? To make pie crust dough, you only need to prepare graham crackers or Regal which are sold in supermarkets. In addition, also prepare lemon juice, egg yolk, and sweetened condensed milk to make the filling dough. After that, you can bake the lemon pie right away and let it cool down. Before enjoying it, you can first decorate the surface with as much fresh whipped cream as you want!
Ingredients
- 180 grams of graham cracker crumbs or Regal
- 65 grams of sugar
- 5 tbsp. (70 grams of butter), melt and let stand until the temperature cools slightly
- 240 ml of lemon juice made from about 5-6 fresh lemons
- 400 ml sweetened condensed milk
- 5 large egg yolks
- 240 ml heavy whipped cream
- 1 tbsp. (8 grams) powdered sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
Will make a lemon pie about 23 cm in diameter
Step
Part 1 of 3: Making Pie Crust Dough
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 180°C
While waiting for the oven to heat up, put 180g of graham cracker crumbs or Regal into a bowl. If you're having trouble finding ready-to-use cookie crumbs at the supermarket, try processing 11 to 12 whole biscuits in a food processor until they're crumbly.
Tip:
To make the pie crust taste more legit, try replacing 60 grams of biscuit crumbs with 60 grams of toasted almond crumbs.
Step 2. Mix the biscuit crumbs with the sugar and melted butter
Melt 5 tbsp. (70 grams) butter and pour into a bowl of biscuit crumbs. Also add 65 grams of sugar, then stir again all the ingredients until well mixed.
Ideally, the texture of the pie crust should feel gritty and soft at the same time
Step 3. Transfer the pie dough to the pan while pressing down
Prepare a pie pan about 23 cm in diameter, then pour the crust mixture into it. Then, use the palm of your hand to press down on the pie crust and flatten the surface so that it covers the entire bottom and edges of the pan.
- Press the skin dough firmly to even out the surface.
- Ideally, pie crust dough should be 0.5 to 1 cm thick.
Step 4. Bake the pie crust dough for 8 to 10 minutes
Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake until the surface is golden brown. Once the dough is toasted well and emits a nice aroma, remove the pan and place it on a wire rack until it cools down.
- Prepare the filling while waiting for the pie crust to cool.
- Do not turn off the oven to keep the temperature at 180°C.
Part 2 of 3: Making Pie Stuffed Dough
Step 1. Squeeze 5 to 6 lemons
Cut the lemon and squeeze the juice using a special tool into a bowl or measuring cup. Keep squeezing the lemons until you get about 240 ml of fresh lemon juice.
Instead, do not use lemon juice that is sold in packages because the taste is not as delicious or as sour as fresh lemon juice
Step 2. Pour 5 egg yolks into a bowl
Break 5 eggs, then separate the yolks and whites. Since you will only be using the yolk, the egg whites can be discarded or stored for processing into other dishes. After that, put 5 egg yolks in a bowl.
Do you know?
If you want to use up the remaining egg whites, try turning them into meringues, pavlova, macarons, or angel food cakes.
Step 3. Mix lemon juice, egg yolk, and sweetened condensed milk
Pour the lemon juice into the bowl with the egg yolks, then add 400 ml of sweetened condensed milk to it. Stir all ingredients until well blended and soft texture.
Sweetened condensed milk serves to sweeten the taste of the pie and make the texture of the dough easier to solidify
Step 4. Pour the filling into the baked pie crust
Once the pie crust has cooled down, pour the filling into it, then smooth the surface with the back of a spoon or spatula.
Part 3 of 3: Baking and Serving Pie
Step 1. Bake the pie for 18 to 22 minutes
Place the baking sheet containing the pie dough into the preheated 180°C oven, then bake the dough until the edges of the pie filling look slightly puffy. Ideally, the pie is done when the dough looks firm, but the center is still a little soft.
Don't worry, the texture of the pie filling will thicken even more as it cools
Step 2. Remove the pie from the oven and let it rest for 5 hours until it cools down
Turn off the oven and remove the pan inside. Then, place the pan on a wire rack and let it sit at room temperature until the steam is gone. After that, cover the pie and place it in the refrigerator until it cools completely.
Tip: If you're not in a hurry, bake the pie and cool to room temperature, then let the pie sit overnight in the refrigerator before garnishing the top with whipped cream.
Step 3. Mix whipped cream with powdered sugar and vanilla
First of all, add 1 tbsp. (8 grams) powdered sugar and 1 tsp. vanilla extract in a large bowl. After that, pour 240 ml of heavy whipped cream into it, then beat all the ingredients at high speed using a hand mixer or electric mixer until stiff peaks form.
Remember, the cream will stiffen faster if the bowl and beater you're using are cooled beforehand
Step 4. Spray or apply whipped cream to the surface of the pie before serving
Remove the cooled lemon pie from the refrigerator and pour a dollop of whipped cream over the top. If you want to enhance the appearance of the pie, spray the whipped cream all over the surface of the pie in a circular motion using a plastic triangle that has been equipped with a star-shaped syringe at the end. Slice and serve the pie cold!
Cover and store leftover pie in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Remember, the longer the pie keeps, the thinner the whipped cream will be on the surface
Tips
- To save time, you can use ready-made pie crusts that are sold in major supermarkets.
- Instead of making pie crusts from graham crackers or Regal crackers, you can also use pastry crusts for a more classic texture and taste.
