Momma made three main types of lemon pies. They were Lemon Meringue, Lemon Cream, and Lemon Icebox. The family was always clear which was which. Lemon Meringue was a bright yellow and almost transparent but not quite. Lemon Cream had a pudding consistency. And Lemon Icebox was made with condensed milk and required no cooking.

Momma had a Lemon tree and it put out huge Meyer Lemons. She did learn that when you see something like “the juice of four lemons” written in a recipe, that it usually means a regular-sized lemon. She made a pie with four of her big ole lemons and we all walked around with pursed lips for a few days. Nobody dared not eat it. She was a product of the Depression and you ate what was put before you.

Pie shells were always homemade. A concoction of flour, shortening and ice water were the main ingredients. Unfortunately, I did not inherit the pie-making gene but I did discover the Pillsbury (red box) pie dough in a roll. As God is my witness, I will never attempt to make a homemade pie shell as long as Pillsbury cranks these out. They are easy to use and actually delicious.

There are two pie doughs per box so you can take one out at a time if that’s all you need. Let it sit out about 15 minutes. Put it between two pieces of wax paper and give it about 3 or 4 rolls to smooth it out. Drop it in a pie plate. It’s wonderful.

I told my daughter about these wonderful pie shells and was specific about the brand Pillsbury. No, she is going to save a dime, she bought the off-brand. She sent me a picture by text of what was in the box and the shells were all cracked and broken. Lord, she is a miser but did learn a lesson that day.

This is a cooked pie filling. I actually use this filling as a basic cream filling and change the flavoring.

I love adding the Kraft Marshmallow cream to my meringue. It adds shine and volume.

For Momma’s sake, try this pie. It is really easy. You just have to cook it until it is really thick or you will have a pie that will have to be scooped out with a spoon!

Yield: 1 9 INCH PIE

MOMMA'S LEMON CREAM PIE

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Lemon cream pie with pastry crust and fluffy meringue topping

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

Crust

•  1 Pillsbury Pie Crust (red box), room temperature

Filling

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 4 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 can 12 oz. evaporated milk
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 5 egg yolks, lightly beaten
• 4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup lemon juice

MERINGUE

• 5 egg whites, room temperature
• 1  scant teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1  7- oz jar Kraft Marshmallow cream

Instructions

PIECRUST

Preheat oven 425 degrees. Roll pie crust out between two pieces of waxed paper. Place in pie plate.

Trim excess so it is evenly about one-inch hanging over the sides of the plate. Tuck in the excess and flute the edges or crimp with a fork. Put a round piece of parchment paper in the bottom of the shell. Put pie weights on top. Bake about 15 minutes. Immediately remove weights and paper. Bake another 5 -10 minutes. Remove and allow to cool.

FILLING

In a saucepan, stir sugar and cornstarch with a whisk to mix well. Add evaporated milk and whole milk and whisk. Turn heat on medium and cook until the mixture thickens. This will take 15-20 minutes. Stir frequently.

Dip about 1/2 cup of the hot mixture and pour it into a small bowl. Slowly add the yolks stirring constantly. Stir well and pour the mixture back into the saucepan. Continue cooking until pudding-like thickness. Add lemon juice and butter. Stir well. Cool and pour into a baked pie shell.

MERINGUE

In a mixer, beat egg whites until frothy. Add cream of tartar and pour a slow stream of sugar into the whites as the beater is on high. When soft peaks are formed, add marshmallow cream a tablespoon at a time, while continuing to beat. You can use just half the jar or the whole jar. I use the whole jar because I like a lot of meringue.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

10

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 441Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 119mgSodium: 215mgCarbohydrates: 70gFiber: 1gSugar: 53gProtein: 8g

Nutrition information can vary for a recipe based on factors such as precision of measurements, brands, ingredient freshness, or the source of nutrition data.

“So the pie is not perfect? Cut it into wedges. Stay in control and never panic.”

– Martha Stewart