Lemon Cream Cheese Pie

Products Used

By Chef Eddy Van Damme

Prep Time:

Bake/Cook Time:

7m - 8m

Yield:

1, deep 9-inch pie

Lemon Cream Cheese Pie is a delightful blend of tangy citrus and smooth, creamy cheese, all wrapped up in a buttery, crunchy graham cracker crust. It's the epitome of a refreshing dessert, offering a beautiful balance between the sharpness of the lemon and the rich decadence of cream cheese. Chef Eddy adds fresh lemon juice and lemon zest to the cream cheese mousse. This lemony tang, coupled with the creamy cheesiness, creates a filling that's the perfect harmony of tart and sweet. This easy pie is topped off with tangy homemade lemon curd for the ultimate lemon treat. It's a pie that celebrates the simple beauty of its ingredients, transforming them into a dessert that's just as perfect for a special occasion as it is for a simple, sunny afternoon treat.

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Products Used

Ingredients

Crust

Half box (204 g) graham crackers
7 tablespoons (98 g) unsalted butter
2 tablespoons (25 g) Imperial Sugar Extra Fine Granulated Sugar

Cream Cheese Mousse

1 1/2 teaspoons gelatin
2 tablespoons water
Zest from 2 large lemons, no white bitter pith
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
16 ounces (2 packages) cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup (100 g) Imperial Sugar Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup (240 g) whipping or heavy cream

Lemon Curd

1 large egg
1 large egg white
1/2 cup (100 g) Imperial Sugar Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
1/2 cup (120 g) fresh lemon juice
4 tablespoons (56 g) unsalted butter, very soft

Finishing

3/4 cup (180 g) or heavy cream
1 tablespoon (12.5 g) Imperial Sugar Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Crush graham crackers to meal. Melt butter and add to meal along with sugar.
Press mixture on bottom and sides of a deep 9-inch pie tin. Place in oven for 7-8 minutes and allow to cool.
Combine gelatin and water in a small bowl and set aside for a minimum of 3 minutes.
Heat lemon juice until lukewarm or slightly warmer. Add gelatin mixture and whisk until completely dissolved. Add lemon zest and set aside.
Ensure that cream cheese is at room temperature before proceeding. Mixing is easily done by hand using a firm rubber spatula. Place cream cheese in a large bowl. Add granulated sugar and mix until completely smooth and no lumps remain. Add vanilla extract.
Add (still warm at this stage) juice/gelatin mixture in 5 increments waiting for previously added amount to be fully incorporated and mixture is smooth before adding next.
In a separate bowl, whip cream to soft/medium peak and not as stiff as you would to pipe rosettes on a pie or cake.
Add in one step to above and fold just until combined. Scrape into pie pan, level the surface, and place in freezer for 1 hour and transfer to refrigerator.
Prepare lemon curd by placing egg and egg white in a large microwave-safe bowl. Mixture will rise when heated. Whisk for at least 2 minutes until completely blended.
Add sugar and lemon juice and whisk rapidly together. Add butter.
Place in a microwave for 40 seconds. Remove and whisk well. Return for another 40 seconds and whisk again. Repeat process until lemon curd has the consistency of room-temperature ketchup.
If curd shows signs of tiny lumps, run through a fine sieve. Cover with plastic food wrap and place in the fridge.
To finish pie, whip cream, sugar, and vanilla to stiff peaks. Fit whipped cream in a piping bag fitted with a large French star pastry tip.
Pipe rosettes on the edge of pie.
Fill center with cooled lemon curd.