Why is lemon juice added to lemon pie filling after the starch has thickened the water?

Final answer: Lemon juice is added to lemon pie filling after the starch has thickened the water to preserve the right texture . The acid in the lemon juice can break down the starch-water gel, thinning the mixture.

What is lemon chess pie made of?

While both are made with butter, sugar, and eggs , chess pie relies on an acid like lemon juice or vinegar to balance the sweetness, and is thickened by cornmeal for a pale yellow color. Buttermilk pie calls on buttermilk for its custardy base, along with all-purpose flour to thicken it.

How do I keep my lemon meringue pie from getting watery?

One of the most popular pieces of advice for making a meringue-topped pie is to make sure the pie filling is piping hot when you top it with meringue . The steam from the filling will rise up and pass through the meringue, cooking your meringue from bottom to top and preventing liquid from pooling underneath.

What is the liquid at the bottom of the lemon meringue pie?

If the meringue is swirled onto a cool filling and baked, steam in the reheating filling just reaches the meringue. As the pie cools, the steam condenses to form the sweet weeping (sometimes a pool) under the meringue.

What is possum pie made of?

The dessert typically features a nut-crumb crust, a cream cheese layer, a chocolate layer, a vanilla layer and whipped cream or Cool Whip layer . It can be made in a baking dish or a pie plate.

Why does my lemon meringue pie taste like metal?

The metallic taste is from the cream of tartar, probably transferred to your lemon curd overnight . Try to make meringue with egg white and sugar, it's enough.

What's the difference between a chess pie and a buttermilk pie?

Chess pie is thickened with cornmeal (and sometimes a little bit of all-purpose flour!), whereas buttermilk pies uses only all-purpose flour . Many buttermilk recipes will play up the tartness, with added lemon juice and zest, giving it a pleasant citrus flavor.

Why add lemon juice to pie filling?

“Adding finely chopped whole lemon to pie filling is an excellent way to kill two pie-birds with one stone, bumping up both flavor and thickening .”

What does lemon juice do to starch?

Lemon juice should be added to a starch-thickened sauce at the end of cooking to ensure that contact with starch is reduced and the fresh flavor is maintained. The acidity of the lemon juice reduces the thickening power of starch in the sauce .

Why do you add lemon juice to water?

The health benefits of drinking lemon water may include adding vitamin C and antioxidants to your diet, cutting back on sugar-sweetened drinks, and aiding weight loss . You may not want to drink it too often, though. One glass of lemon water containing one 48-gram lemon, squeezed, contains : 10.6 calories.

Lemon Butter Pie • the best thing I've ever eaten! (2024)

Lemon butter pie just might be the sweetest discovery of summer ~ an easy almost-no-bake icebox pie with big lemon flavor and a texture you just have to taste to believe!

Lemon Butter Pie • the best thing I've ever eaten! (1)

lemon butter pie is a winning combination of flavors

Go ahead, find a better combo than creamy lemon and crumbly graham cracker crumbs, I dare you! Take it from me when I tell you this pie is the best! I should have some credibility here, I’ve created hundreds of lemon recipes and I know my citrus! I rarely pressure you to make something, but I’m pressuring now ~ this is one of the best desserts I’ve ever eaten.

Lemon Butter Pie • the best thing I've ever eaten! (2)

why’s it called lemon butter pie?

Well, it contains a lot of butter, for sure. And the texture is dense and rich ~ unlike any lemon pie you’ve had before, I’m guessing. The whole thing is served super cold, even frozen if you like, so lemon butter is an apt name. If you think you might like a lighter lemon pie, try my Lemon Icebox Pie instead.

lemon butta pie

I was inspired by the Lemon Butta Pie from the small Detroit based company Lush Yummies Pie Co. Their pies have caught the eye of both Oprah and Martha and as far as I can tell they are always sold out! I thought I’d try my hand at recreating one and I’ve nailed it.

Make it, stash it in the fridge and forget about it for several hours (as if that were possible!) Then slice into the cool silky lemony perfection and serve a slice to yourself, or maybe share with your very very very best buddies. Alternatively you can freeze the pie and serve it straight from frozen. This is special, y’all.

Lemon Butter Pie • the best thing I've ever eaten! (3)

5 pantry ingredients for the perfect lemon butter pie

My creamy lemon filling is based on a classic French lemon pastry cream that my friends at food52 slightly adapted from Tartine. Dorie Greenspan shares a similar recipe from Pierre Herme in her Baking from My Home to Yours. I’ve adjusted the recipe a bit to be more user friendly for a casual summer pie.

lemon juice
sugar
eggs
butter
graham crackers

Lemon Butter Pie • the best thing I've ever eaten! (4)

how is lemon cream different from lemon curd?

Lemon cream takes basic lemon curd and makes it lighter, fluffier, and, yes, more buttery. But the intense lemon flavor remains, which is a huge win win. Butter is blended into slightly cooled curd, bit by bit. The butter never fully melts, and so when it chills in the pie crust the resulting texture is like…lemon butter!

temperature is important for making lemon cream

You will need an instant read thermometer for this recipe. You’ll want to know when the hot lemon curd cools just enough: to 140F. This temp is the magic spot where the butter will incorporate into the curd perfectly, without melting too much, or too little.

Lemon Butter Pie • the best thing I've ever eaten! (5)

how to store and serve your lemon butter pie

You’ll store your pie in the refrigerator or in the freezer. It will last a week refrigerated, and 3 months (well wrapped) in the freezer.

This pie is unusual in that it tastes equally great straight from the fridge or from the freezer, it just depends on your taste. I like it both ways, but I think the freezer wins by a nose. The texture is like ice cream! Note: you may want to let the pie sit at room temperature for a bit before serving from the freezer if it has been in more than a couple of hours. 10 minutes should do it.

Lemon Butter Pie • the best thing I've ever eaten! (6)

lemon desserts rule!

Lemon glazed raspberry bread
Fresh Lemon Mousse
Lemon Shortbread
Meyer Lemon Pudding (super easy recipe!)
Lemon Icebox Pie
Fresh Lemon Ice Cream
Lemon Olive Oil Cake

Lemon Butter Pie

4.96 from 88 votes

Equipment

shallow 9 1/2 inch pyrex or metal pie plate, you want something that can go in the freezer if you plan to freeze your pie.
instant read thermometer
silicone whisk and spoonula are very handy but optional
See Also
Sticky Lemon Curd Cake (With Blueberries)

Ingredients

crust

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
4 Tbsp butter, melted

lemon butter filling

1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
3 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, cut in 1 tablespoon sized pieces. The butter should be firm but not cold. Room temperature is good.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter a shallow 9 inch pie dish.
Mix the graham cracker crumbs with the melted butter. I find this works best if I use my fingers. Once it's all combined and evenly moistened, gently press it into your pie dish. Don't worry about messy edges, one of the charms of this lemon pie is the ragged crumb crust.
Bake the pie crust for 8 minutes, then set aside to cool.
To make the lemon butter filling put the lemon juice, eggs and yolk, and sugar into a medium sized heavy saucepan. Whisk everything together well.
Heat, whisking or stirring constantly, over medium to medium high heat until the mixture thickens and reaches 180F. I like to use a silicone whisk and spoonula for this job because it makes it easy to scrape the pan completely as the curd cooks. Note: if you haven't made curd or egg thickened sauces or puddings before you may want to stick to medium heat.
Push the lemon curd through a strainer to remove any stray lumps of egg. Stir to cool the curd to 140F (this won't take long.)
Transfer to a food processor and turn the machine on. Add the pieces of butter, one at a time, letting each incorporate before adding the next.
Turn the creamy lemon into your pie crust and spread out evenly. Refrigerate the pie for at least several hours before serving. If you would like a firmer consistency you can pop the pie in the freezer.
Serve the pie cold, or even frozen. If serving straight from the freezer you may want to let it sit on the counter for 10 minutes or so to soften a bit.

Video

Notes

Why do I recommend using a silicone whisk and spoonula? Silicone is flexible, and so gets to every nook and cranny of your pan when you’re thickening sauces, puddings, curds, and custards.

NEW FEATURE! Click here to add your own private notes.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Author: Sue Moran

Keyword: icebox pie, lemon, pie

Nutrition

Calories: 344 kcal · Carbohydrates: 26 g · Protein: 3 g · Fat: 26 g · Saturated Fat: 15 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 7 g · Trans Fat: 1 g · Cholesterol: 135 mg · Sodium: 287 mg · Potassium: 65 mg · Fiber: 0.5 g · Sugar: 18 g · Vitamin A: 813 IU · Vitamin C: 5 mg · Calcium: 28 mg · Iron: 1 mg

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although The View from Great Island attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.

Did You Make This?We love seeing what you’ve made! Tag us on social media at @theviewfromgreatisland for a chance to be featured.