Bill Bryson's Dream-Fulfilling Lemon Pie

"Dessert was of course the highlight. Everyone on the trail dreams of something, usually sweet and gooey, and my sustaining vision had been an outsized slab of pie. It had occupied my thoughts for days, and when the waitress came to take our order I asked her, with beseeching eyes and a hand on her forearm, to bring me the largest piece she could slice without losing her job. She brought me a vast, viscous, canary-yellow wedge of lemon pie. It was a monument to food technology, yellow enough to give you a headache, sweet enough to make your eyeballs roll up into your head -- everything, in short, you could want in a pie so long as taste and quality didn’t enter into your requirements." 

- Bill Bryson, A Walk in the Woods (chapter 5)

 

(From DC member Sheri)  

I combined/adapted three recipes from Cook's Country for my pie. The instructions for the creamy layer were written for a food processor and I just left them that way even though I don't have a food processor and used my blender and mixer. When I baked the crust I did it at a lower temp for longer time, but am going to try again at the higher temp for shorter time (that I listed here) and hopefully it won't be as chewy next time.

Remember folks, this was one of the winners at Dessert Club Lit Night.  Lemony heaven; perfect sweet-tart-creamy-crunchy love child.  Definitely got my vote.

Bill Bryson's Dream-Fulfilling Lemon Pie (print recipe)

Crust:
10 lemon sandwich cookies

8 whole graham crackers, broken into rough pieces
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon lemon zest

¼ teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 F. Add the cookies and crackers to the bowl of your food processor. Pulse until they are finely ground. Add the butter, sugar and lemon zest to the bowl, and continue pulsing until well combined - the mixture should start to clump just a little. Turn the mixture out into a 10-inch springform pan. Press into an even layer and half-way up the sides to form the crust. Bake for about 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown and set. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and allow the crust to cool completely, at least 30 minutes.

For The "Canary Yellow" Layer:
1 ¼ cups sugar
1 cup of lemon juice (from about 6 lemons)
½ cup water
¼ cup cornstarch
¼ tsp. salt
8 large egg yolks 
2 tbsp. grated lemon zest
3 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened and cut into pieces

Whisk sugar, lemon juice, water, cornstarch and salt together in a large non-reactive saucepan until cornstarch is dissolved. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, whisking occasionally until mixture is translucent and begins to thicken, about 5 minutes.

Whisk in yolks until combined. Stir in zest and butter. Bring to a simmer and stir constantly until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 2 minutes.

Strain through fine mesh strainer into the baked and cooled pie shell and scrape off filling from the bottom of strainer. Reserve about 3 tbsp in a small dish for the decoration. Refrigerate while making creamy layer.

Creamy Filling Layer:
1 cup fresh lemon juice (about 6 lemons) and 1 tablespoon grated fresh lemon zest 

1 ¼ teaspoons unflavored gelatin

¼ cup sugar
1 (8‑ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (14‑ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
⅓ cup instant vanilla pudding mix
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Stir ¼ cup of the lemon juice and gelatin together in a small bowl and let sit to soften.

Process the sugar and lemon zest together in a food processor until the sugar turns bright yellow, about 30 seconds. Add the cream cheese and continue to process until combined, about 30 seconds. Add the condensed milk and pudding mix and continue to process until smooth, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the work bowl.

Microwave the lemon juice mixed with gelatin until warm (just before bubbling), about 15-30 seconds. Stir to dissolve the gelatin.

With the food processor running, pour the warm gelatin mixture, remaining lemon juice, and vanilla through the feed tube and continue to process until thoroughly combined, about 30 seconds. Pour the creamy filling into the pie shell on top of yellow layer and smooth the top with a spatula. 

Transfer the reserved Canary Yellow filling to a small resealable plastic bag and snip one of the corners. Pipe thin, parallel lines of the Yellow filling onto the creamy layer, then drag a knife or spatula through the lines (perpendicular to them) to create a decorative pattern. 

Refrigerate the pie, uncovered, until chilled and set, about 6 hours. Serve chilled with whipped cream.

Chocolate-Banana Cream Pie with Speckled Oreo Crust (a.k.a. Pie of Love)

Well this is just an easy-peasy downright fun and stupendously crowd-pleasing pie of love. My brother made it for - you guessed it, "Pi(e) Day" - March 14 (get it, 3.14?) - and took it into work where it was mobbed and gobbled, and he had to take another in a few days later.

All it is, is delicious crust, instant pudding, bananas and whipped cream, but we don't always think of such ease, do we? Sometimes we need a cool food blog with fancy pictures (do I flatter?) to tell us, "Not only is it OK, but it's cool, to make a pudding pie." And if you're going to make one, you should make this one because it's from Dave so it's extra cool.

You can make the crust with original Oreos, golden Oreos, or a combination like I did. Be sure to cut the bananas nice and chunky, and to make sure they get totally covered with the top pudding. You probably have all this stuff in your house right now, so go whip up some love for your family.

Chocolate-Banana Cream Pie with Speckled Oreo Crust (print recipe)
Crust:
9 original Oreo cookies
9 golden Oreo cookies
3 T butter, melted

Filling:
1 (3.4 oz.) box chocolate instant pudding
1 (3.4 oz.) box vanilla or banana cream instant pudding
3 cups milk
3 bananas, sliced into 1/2-inch chunks
1 cup whipping cream
1 to 3 T granulated or confectioners' sugar

Finishing Touches:
Shaved chocolate and/or 1 chocolate and 1 golden Oreo

1. Preheat oven to 400. To make crust, pulse chocolate and golden Oreos in the food processor until totally crumbly. Turn processor on and pour melted butter in while whizzing. Scrape sides and bottom and process until sandy. Press crumbs into a 9-inch pie plate, using clean buttered hands or a glass measuring cup buttered on the bottom to press crust tightly along bottom and up sides of pie pan. Bake for about 10 minutes. Cool completely to room temperature.
2. Whisk chocolate pudding mix with 1 1/2 cups milk for 5 minutes; pour into crust. Place sliced bananas all over pudding. (This is a fun task for kids to help with.) Whisk vanilla/banana cream pudding mix with 1 1/2 cups milk for 5 minutes. Pour over bananas and spread to edges using a rubber spatula; make sure all bananas are completely covered so they won't brown. Chill until ready to serve.

3. Right before serving, whip cream and sugar until fluffy. Pipe or spread over banana pudding. Garnish with shaved chocolate, leftover whole or crushed Oreos, or whatever else sounds good.Recipe from my brother Dave

Italian Cream Wedding Cake

There is nothing more thrilling for an amateur baker than to have something turn out looking exactly like it does in the book, AND tasting as good as it looks! If you think about it for a second, you realize the credit probably goes to the recipe's author rather than the home cook, but I am taking it anyway. I am AMAZING!

Because this cake is. This is what we served for the grown-up February birthdays at our house (me, my husband, my Mom.) Four layers of delicious yellow cake full of coconut, pecans, and FOUR different extracts, filled with creamy vanilla pastry cream* and slathered with lemony cream cheese frosting. We served it, as directed, with lemon sorbet, but ooheee, that sorbet was tart with this cake! I think I'd go with sherbet at least, or even better, lemon ice cream. Yes, I think lemon ice cream would be perfect.

*Here's the thing about pastry cream. It's kind of hard to make and easy to screw up. And it makes a mess. And at least the times I've successfully made it without a curdled disaster, it never tasted as good as vanilla cook-and-serve pudding. So after another attempt at pastry cream this time around, I ditched the effort and went with the pudding. So delicious.
Italian Cream Wedding Cake (print recipe)
Cream Filling:
1 large box of cooked vanilla pudding, prepared and chilled

Cake Batter:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
5 large eggs, separated
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp lemon extract
1/2 tsp orange extract
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup toasted shredded coconut
1/2 cup toasted pecans, finely chopped

Butter-Cream Cheese Frosting:
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup cream cheese, softened
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
Milk, as necessary

Finishing Touches:
Chopped toasted pecans
Toasted shredded coconut
White chocolate shavings/curls, optional1. Prepare pudding according to box directions, maybe add a little less milk so it will set up firm. Chill well, several hours or up to 3 days.

2. For cake, preheat oven to 350. Spray two 9-inch round pans with cooking spray. Line bottoms with parchment paper circles and spray them with cooking spray. Place pans on parchment paper lined baking sheets and wrap with bake-even strips if you have them.

3. In a mixer bowl, cream butter and shortening until well blended and fluffy. Add 1 1/4 cups sugar and mix well. Blend egg yolks into butter mixture, scraping down bowl every so often (if it seems curdled, add some of the flour called for in cake batter. Fold in vanilla, almond, lemon and orange extracts. Blend in buttermilk and then fold in remaining flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Lastly, add coconut and pecans.

4. Place egg whites in a clean, dry mixer bowl, and using whisk attachment, whip egg whites on low speed of mixer until frothy. Increase speed and slowly dust in remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Increase speed and whip until whites are stiff and glossy, abut 3 to 4 minutes. Fold one-third of egg whites into cake batter. Then carefully fold in remaining whites so as to incorporate whites but not deflate batter.

5. Spoon batter into prepared pans. Bake until cakes spring back when gently pressed with fingertips, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool cake layers well, and, once cooled, cover loosely with wax paper while making frosting.

6. For frosting, cream butter and cream cheese in a mixer with paddle attachment until smooth. Add confectioners' sugar, vanilla, lemon juice, and as much milk as required to get a smooth and spreadable consistency. Whip on medium speed for 3 minutes.

7. To assemble, cut each cake in half horizontally. Whisk or mix chilled pudding with a spoon to loosen it. Place one cake layer on a serving platter and cover with one-third pudding. Sandwich remaining layers the same way, leaving top layer plain.

8. Frost cake sides and then top with Butter-Cream Cheese Frosting. Dust top with a fine mixture of pecans, coconut and white chocolate shavings or curls. Chill 1 hour before serving (or up to 3 days.)

Recipe adapted from A Passion for Baking by Marcy Goldman

Icebox Key Lime Pie

Stop it, stop it, stop it. Whatever you are doing, or were about to do, stop it and make this pie.I have moved it to the front of a long queue of worthy recipes so you can have it immediately because it is THE BEST key lime pie you'll ever have (probably) and THE BEST key lime pie you'll ever make (definitely.) I took it to a family BBQ (which explains why the pics are rushed; once this was cut, people wanted their pieces NOW), and it received rave reviews. Even my aunt, who loves key lime pie, said this rivaled her very favorite from California Pizza Kitchen.

The best key lime pie I'd ever had, until now, was from Steve's Authentic Key Lime Pies in Brooklyn. What can I say? It was delicious and authentic. I admit mine below was made with Mexican limes from the grocery store. But without doing a side-by-side taste test comparison, I'd say this baby is just as good as Steve's, and certainly more accessible. You will wow and amaze anyone you make it for, especially yourself.

I saw this made on PBS's Cook's Country TV. We all know I love Cook's Country magazine, and on occasion I catch their show. Was I ever lucky to see this one. Not that you have to see it to make it - the directions are straightforward and you just do it all in the food processor - no stovetop cooking; the thickening is done by agents in the pudding and gelatin in the refrigerator, or "icebox" (hence the name.) I had never bought unflavored gelatin before, but it's right where you would expect, next to the Jello and pudding at the store.

This amazing pie has got that rich tart-sweetness and a smooth but substantial silkiness your tongue will love. So so so good. So just stop it and go make you some!

Icebox Key Lime Pie

Crust:8 whole graham crackers , broken into smaller pieces
2 T sugar
5 T unsalted butter , melted

Filling:1/4 cup sugar
1 T grated lime zest
8 oz. cream cheese , softened
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup instant vanilla pudding mix
1 1/4 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
1 cup fresh lime juice from 6 to 8 limes
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. For the crust: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Pulse crackers and sugar in food processor until finely ground. Add melted butter in steady stream while pulsing until crumbs resemble damp sand. Using bottom of dry measuring cup, press crumbs firmly into bottom and sides of 9-inch pie plate. Bake until fragrant and browned around edges, 12 to 14 minutes. Cool completely.

2. For the filling: Process sugar and zest in food processor until sugar turns bright green, about 30 seconds. Add cream cheese and process until combined, about 30 seconds. Add condensed milk and pudding mix and process until smooth, about 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl. Stir gelatin and 2 tablespoons lime juice in small bowl. Heat in microwave for 15 seconds; stir until dissolved. With machine running, pour gelatin mixture, remaining lime juice, and vanilla through feed tube and mix until thoroughly combined, about 30 seconds.

3. Pour filling into cooled crust, cover with plastic, and refrigerate at least 3 hours or up to 2 days. To serve, let pie sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before slicing.

Recipe from CooksCountryTV.com

Chocolate Pudding Layer Cake

This is one of those crowd-pleasing treats that's hard to beat. With pudding and Cool Whip, kid's love it, but with cream cheese and a brownie-like crust, so do adults. It is one of our family's all-time favorites; the ultimate recommendation is that Hazel chose this over ice cream for dessert, something I've never seen happen with anything else I've made. I give you direct quotes:
Hazel (4) - "This is delicious-tastic!"
Ginger (3) - "This is scrumptious! Scrumptious means 'hungry' in Spanish, did you know that?"

What could be better than that?

Chocolate Pudding Layer Cake
3/4 cup cold butter
1 pkg (18.4 oz) chocolate cake mix
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 (8 oz.) pkg cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
4 cups Cool Whip (a 12 oz. tub), divided
3 cups cold milk
2 small pkgs (3.9 oz.) instant chocolate pudding
2 T chocolate curls for each slice, optional

1. Preheat oven to 350. Cut butter into cake mix until crumbly. Add egg and mix well. Press into greased 9x13 pan. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes until set. Cool completely on wire rack.

2. In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. Fold in 1 cup Cool Whip. Carefully spread over crust and refrigerate.

3. Whisk milk and pudding mixes for about 2 minutes. Let stand until soft set, a few minutes. Carefully spread over cream cheese layer. Top with remaining Cool Whip. Refrigerate 2 hours, garnish, cut and serve.

Recipe from some Taste of Home cookbook I looked at once

Rainbow Cake

Saturday was my daughter's third birthday. She had a rainbow-themed party, which made me immediately think of the Rainbow Cake (a.k.a. Jello Poke Cake) my Grandma used to make when I was little. The recipe is simple. The process is so colorful and fun. Fun for kids to help with, or you can just do it yourself. The result is crowd-pleasing and super pretty.

Can a three-year-old's birthday cake get much better than cake, jello, pudding and Cool Whip? I'm not sure, but I don't think so. It felt a bit like something out of Willy Wonka making the different Jellos and pouring them into and onto the cake. And of course we served it with - what else? - rainbow sherbet.

Rainbow Cake

(a.k.a. Jello Poke Cake)

• 1 white/yellow/vanilla cake mix (and the ingredients to make it - I substituted buttermilk for the water but otherwise followed the box instructions)
• Several different flavors of gelatin (small boxes) - or just one if you're feeling monochromatic
• Cool Whip or whipped cream for topping
• Vanilla pudding, optional, prepared
• Colored buttercream frosting for rainbow decoration, optional
  

1. Make the cake in a 9x13 pan according to box directions. Allow to cool for 15 minutes. Make lots of holes by poking cake with a the handle of a wooden spoon, or I prefer to use a straw.

2. Dissolve each flavor of gelatin in 1 cup boiling water. Drizzle all over cake, making sure it goes in the holes. You don't have to use all the gelatin but be fairly generous. Refrigerate at least 4 hours. Jello will set in the cake.

3. If desired, spread a layer of cooled vanilla pudding on the cake. Then spread with Cool Whip to complete. Decorate as desired. Serve. (Refrigerate leftovers.)Recipe from Grandma Cummings

Chocolate Pistachio Cake

This cake is such a favorite standby in our household that I've never even thought to post it! But when I asked Ed a few weeks ago what he'd like me to make him for our anniversary, there was no hesitation: Chocolate Pistachio Cake!

This is one of many no-fail recipes that comes from a great little book called The Cake Mix Doctor and I give full kudos to Anne Byrn, who painstakingly put it together. Personally I think it would be hard (in a boring kind of way) to make a whole book of cakes made with mixes, but she has wonderful tips and ideas and is really creative in making the most of a mix so it ends up as something much more than just a regular cake.

This one is a great example. Ed doesn't like frosting (I know, he's crazy) so this cake is perfect for him because it doesn't have frosting, but does have a cool crunchy pecan-and-chocolate-chip topping baked in.
And besides that, it's got pistachio flavor (from pistachio pudding mix) and a chocolate swirl. Fast, easy, and perfect with ice cream.

Vegetable oil spray for misting pan, and flour for dusting
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 pkg plain white cake mix
1 (3.4 oz) pkg pistachio instant pudding mix
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
1/2 cup chocolate syrup


1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray and dust with flour a 12-cup Bundt pan; shake out excess flour.
Sprinkle the pecans and chocolate chips evenly in the bottom of the pan; set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl blend the cake mix, pudding mix, sugar, water, oil and eggs on low speed for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and increase speed to medium; beat for 2 more minutes, until batter is smooth and thick.

3. Remove 1 cup of the batter to a small bowl. Pour the chocolate syrup into the small bowl and stir until mixture is well combined. Set aside.

4. Pour remaining batter into the prepared pan. Pour the chocolate batter over the top, trying to keep it away from the edges. Swirl the two batters.

5. Bake 50 to 60 minutes, until cake is golden brown and springs back when lightly touched. Coll in pan on wire rack 20 minutes. Run a long sharp knife around edges and invert onto rack or plate to cool completely. Serve warm or room temperature. Can be frozen, wrapped in foil, up to 6 months.