Summer is finally here.
And it is already going too fast. Now that I have a school-aged child, summer for me didn’t start until June 3. (Her last day was June 2.) Previously in life, back in college and my early days of marriage and children up until now… “summer” began when the weather turned warmer than 60 degrees. (Let’s say April-ish). Or when chores were accompanied by a little ‘catch.
Summer is already evaporating before my eyes.
BUT…
Let’s observe the good through the bad, shall we? There are at least 4,579 potlucks that I’ll be attending in the near future. This. Summer.
I love a good potluck, and here in Iowa, you can be guaranteed that there will be PIE. Lots of pie. I love a two crust fruit pie any old day (like the pie pictured above), but when I want to make something special, Lemon Supreme Pie hits the spot. The simple vanilla wafer cookie crust, cheesecake filling, lemon filling and whipped cream topping is what my pie-loving dreams are made of.
Whaaaaaat? Yes I did say whipped cream, and it is ALL OVER this pie (as if I’d have it any other way)!
PIE TIP: I’d like to dish out a little trick to make your whipped cream taste even more remarkable AND give it a little structure (in case your pie got a little warm or something). This is called ‘stabilizing’ the whipped cream. Do this by…
ADDING a bit of SOUR CREAM.
See, they are buds. (Sour Cream and Whipping Cream)
I’m sure if I contacted Alton Brown he’d be able to tell me exactly why this works… but I’m counting on the numerous pie bakers in my life that use this method. It works well and I love the tiniest tang the sour cream imparts on the whipped cream, especially helpful if you are using powdered sugar to sweeten the cream. (*There is another way to stabilize whipped cream, involving gelatin… no thanks, too much time involved.)
Whipped cream adds a rich touch to any dessert, in my opinion. We’re lucky here in the central Iowa area to have AE Dairy around the corner. This cream is fresh, and the taste speaks for itself.
Whipped Cream Tips: Whether you’re using the cream for an ice cream sundae or to top a cream pie.
#1. Be sure the cream is COLD prior to starting this process.
- this helps the cream accept the air you whip into it, giving it structure and volume.
#2. Not a bad idea to have the bowl and whisk/beaters chilled. Not necessary.
- you don’t have to do this, but it helps and it will keep you from making my freshman mistake of using a hot glass bowl from the dishwasher to beat my cream in. Not a good idea.
#3. For cream pies, whipped cream must be stiff.
- However, if you do over-whip (it will look curdled), simply add a few extra tablespoons of cream and whip for another 20 seconds. It will pull back together.
#4. Don’t forget a pinch of salt in sweet recipes. Lots of recipes that call for whipping cream can be pretty sweet, keep the balance by adding a pinch of salt.
- This keeps the cream from becoming too sweet, (everyone adds sugar or powdered sugar, but forgets the salt!)
#5. Use 1 TBSP of regular sour cream per 2 C whipping cream in your whipped cream recipes.
- This will help stabilize the cream (by giving it more structure you can’t possibly whip into it) and add a hint of the great flavor of sour cream.
Learn more about AE Dairy and connect with them on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube for great recipe ideas and news of exciting new products coming down the pipeline! Have you tried the Garden Vegetable Cottage Cheese, or the Lemonade? They are my favorites this time of year.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of AE Dairy via Burst Media. The opinions and text are all mine.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of AE Dairy via RhythmOne. The opinions and text are all mine.
Lemon Supreme Pie
Ingredients
Lemon Filling
- 2 cups Granulated Sugar
- 3/4 cups cornstarch
- 1 large pinch Salt
- 1 1/4 cups water
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1/2 cup Lemon Juice (3-5 lemons depending on size)
- 2 tsp Lemon Zest
Cream Cheese Filling
- 3 8 oz. pkgs Regular Cream Cheese at room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups Powdered Sugar
- 1 cup AE Heavy Whipping Cream
- 2 tsp Lemon Zest
- 2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
For The Crust
- 1 3/4 cups vanilla wafer crumbs
- 5 tbsp Butter melted
For the Whipped Cream Topping of Pie
- 1 1/2 cups AE Heavy Whipping Cream well chilled
- 1/4 cup Powdered Sugar
- 1 1/2 tbsp AE Sour Cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
Instructions
For the Lemon Filling
- In a medium saucepan combine 1 cup of the sugar, cornstarch and salt. Stir in water until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium; add the remaining sugar and temper egg yolks (stir in some of the hot mixture while whisking vigorously to increase the temperature of yolks so they don't curdle.) Off heat, add yolks while whisking well, until combined. Add lemon juice and zest. Return pan to medium heat and cook and stir for 4 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Remove from the heat; stir in butter. Let cool until room temperature, 1 hour.
For the Cream Cheese Layer
- Beat cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl until smooth. Add whipping cream, lemon juice and vanilla. Beat until only combined. Refrigerate mixture while assembling the pie crust. Just don't let this mixture get chilled too much. 20-40 minutes will do. (*P.S. it is acceptable to use a prepared graham cracker/vanilla wafer crust if you'd like to.)
For the Pie Crust
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine crumbs and butter in a bowl, stir until crumbs are well moistened. Press into a 9" pie plate. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until pie crust is fragrant and lightly golden. Set aside for assembly.
For the Whipped Cream Pie Topping
- With a whisk attachment or hand mixer, beat heavy cream, powdered sugar, sour cream and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Scoop into a piping bag fitted with a star tip. Reserve until assembly, in refrigerator.
Pie Assembly
- In cooled pie shell, spread cream cheese mixture evenly. Add cooled lemon mixture. Pipe whipped cream (or spoon) decoratively onto the pie. Chill pie for 2-3 hours before serving. Serves 8-12
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