Edible Sunshine

For those of you that didn't know,  National Pie Day was Monday, January 24.  [Not to be confused with Pi Day (3/14)].  How did I figure this out?  My very pie-obsessed husband clued me in on the secret via e-mail that today was pie day and what exactly were we going to do about it?  As we pondered the subtle complexities of what constituted pie (he proposed cheesecake was pie's cousin, and I said no, no.  We cannot make cheesecake on pie day.  Save that for cheesecake day), we then moved on to types of pie. I mean there are so many types of pie out there! Cream pie, pizza pie, fruit pie, chocolate pie, pizookies, fruit pizzas, savory pizzas and pies, Oh my!

Finally, wonder of all wonders, we agreed on a pie.

Lemon Cream Pie, which I quickly dubbed Edible Sunshine Pie.  You may be thinking, "hmm..how does this differ from lemon meringue pie?" Well, believe it or not, several ways.  To sum it up in one word it's lighter, fluffier if you will.  Lemon meringue pie is great, don't get me wrong, but its sister, lemon cream is the light-hearted and carefree version of its French counter part.

As far as taste goes, I initially thought it tasted like a lemon meringue pie with whipped cream instead of meringue, but the more I ate it, the more I knew I was wrong.  It's got a different depth of flavor that's subtle but ever present. The best way to describe it is edible sunshine in the middle of a very grey Missouri winter.

Have I convinced you to try it yet?  No? Well how about this, prep time was about 15 minutes, no joke.

How about now? Trying it yet?

That's what I thought...

Lemon Cream Pie A.K.A. Edible Sunshine Pie

Ingredients:

1 prepared graham cracker crust

8 teaspoons grated lemon zest (about 6 large lemons)


1 cup lemon juice


8 large egg yolks


1 14-ounce cans sweetened condensed milk

1 cup heavy whipping cream


6 T powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Using a rasp or other small grater, zest the lemons. Then cut the lemons and juice them. You want approximately 8 teaspoons of zest and approximately 1 cup of juice. Rest assured that the pie will still be delicious if you only get ¾ cup of juice or 6 teaspoons of zest. No need to run to the store again.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the 8 egg yolks with the lemon zest until the eggs have lightened a bit in color, about 2 minutes. Add the sweetened condensed milk and whisk it into the egg mixture. Finally, slowly add the lemon juice and mix it in as you go. Set the filling aside for about 5 minutes to thicken up a bit. When the filling has thickened a bit, gently pour the filling into the crust. You may have a tiny bit of filling left over.

Place the pie into the oven and allow it to bake for approximately 15 minutes. Bake until the pie is set, but still slightly wiggly in the center. Remove the pie from the oven and cool to room temperature and then place it in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours to chill.

Before serving, place a medium mixing bowl and your electric mixer beater attachments and whisk in the refrigerator to cool. Pour cold heavy whipping cream into the bowl along with the powdered sugar and using your electric mixer or whisk, beat the cream until stiff peaks form.  Spread the whipped cream onto the pie and serve.

DoNUT guess your Christmas Present

I really like to get a jump on Christmas shopping - especially now that I'm a student and finals takes up half of December.  So to much eye rolling from Mike, I began my Christmas shopping back in September (I told you I liked to start early!).  One of his early presents was a deep fryer. 

I ordered it to the store and since we share a car, Mike went to with me to pick up the fryer; he graciously waited in the car while I carried this mammoth monstrosity around the store.  As we're on our way to our next destination I casually mention how large this is.  

Now here's some backstory - I am notorious for ruining his surprises by guessing them; it is both a gift and a curse.  Mike doesn't usually ruin surprises though.  So when we get out of the car and he says "It's a deep fryer isn't it?" words fail me.  I was shocked.  I couldn't even try to formulate a lie and say no.  Needless to say, Mike got his Christmas present early and we agreed we would no longer guess things unless the other one said it was okay.  

Here's our inaugural food we made in the deep fryer:

Jelly filled donut holes - you can stop drooling now; you're getting your computer screen all dirty.  Suddenly after making and eating about half of these, I suddenly felt better about Mike guessing his present and simultaneously felt sick to my stomach from so much sugar.  

To close out the post I will leave you all with the recipe.

*Warning - it makes about 50ish donut holes and by the time they were all made, only 1/3 were left uneaten.  Once you start you can't stop so don't blame me for the extra 5lbs.* 

Strawberry Filled Donut Holes with Lemon Glaze

Adapted slightly from The Family Kitchen and The Comfort of Cooking

Donuts:

oil for frying
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
3/4 cup heavy cream

Glaze:

1/8 cup water

1 t lemon extract

1/8 cup lemon juice

1 cup powdered sugar

Filling:

Strawberry or raspberry jam, preferably seedless

Instructions:

Heat 4-5″ oil in a medium-sized saucepan to 350 degrees F. Sift flour, baking powder, salt and sugar into a large bowl. Mix in sour cream and then fold in heavy cream to make a soft dough. If the dough seems a bit dry, add in a bit more cream, one tablespoon at a time.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and roll out until it is 3/4-1″ high. Using a small round cookie or biscuit cutter, cut out donut “holes.”

Fry for three minutes in 350-degree oil or until golden brown, and then flip and fry an additional three minutes. (Time will vary depending on your deep fryer/oil so watch the first batch carefully). Drain on a wire rack lined with a paper bag or paper towel.

While the donuts are still warm, mix together powdered sugar with 1-2 tablespoons of water, just enough to make a thick glaze, about the consistency of white glue, except must better tasting. Dip one end of the donut into the glaze and immediately dust with blue sprinkles.

Using a pastry bag fitted with a medium-sized round tip (or a filler tip works beautifull if you have one!), insert the tip into one side of the donut and pipe desire amount of jam into the center of the donut - we liked a hole lot but decide your own tastes. 

While the donuts are still warm, mix together powdered sugar, water, lemon juice and lemon extract to make a thick glaze, about the consistency of white glue. If you like it thinner, great! Thin out the glaze with more water.  Submerge the donut hole into the glaze; slightly shake off excess before setting on a pan or wire rack.