GG Kitchen: Lemon Ice Box Pie

by admin

Today I am sharing a True Southern classic Lemon Ice Box Pie. My Mom’s favorite Pie that my Gran always made every year for her.

Icebox pies are a Southern classic! Before refrigerators and freezers were a thing, people living in the South used highly insulated “iceboxes” to keep their food cold – hence the name of this type of pie. Traditionally, they didn’t require any baking so that making them wouldn’t heat up the house in the summertime.

Nowadays, an icebox pie refers to pretty much any pie that’s meant to be served cold. Think banana cream pie, key lime pie, chiffon pie, etc. This easy recipe takes one of those classics – lemon icebox pie – to a whole new level of amazingness!

Crust

  • 1 1/2 cups (201g) graham cracker crumbs (about 11 full sheet graham crackers)
  • 3 tbsp (39g) sugar
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup (112g) unsalted butter, melted

Filling

  • 1 cup (240ml) fresh lemon juice (6–8 lemons)
  • two 14 oz cans sweetened condensed milk
  • 8 large egg yolks
  • 2 1/2 tbsp finely grated lemon zest

Whipped Cream

  • 1 cup (240ml) heavy whipping cream, cold
  • 1/2 cup (58g) powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
  2. To make the crust, add the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and salt to a large bowl and stir to combine.
    Add the melted butter and stir until well combined and crumbly.
    Pour the mixture into a deep dish 9-inch pie pan and spread the crumbs around so that they are evenly dispersed.
    Press the crumbs into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Set aside.
  3. To make the filling, whisk the lemon juice and sweetened condensed milk together in a medium sized bowl. Set aside.
  4. In a large mixing bowl, beat the lemon zest and egg yolks on high until pale and fluffy, about 5-7 minutes.
  5. Add sweetened condensed milk mixture to egg mixture and stir to combine.
  6. Pour the filling into the pie crust and bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until the edges are set and the center jiggles slightly.
  7. Cool on cooling rack for an hour, then refrigerate until firm, 5-6 hours.
  8. To make the whipped cream, add the cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract to a large mixer bowl and whip on high speed until stiff peaks form.
  9. Pipe whipped cream around the edges of the pie, adding half a lemon slice between each swirl, if desired.
  10. Store pie in the fridge. Pie is best if eaten within 4-5 days.
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