Recipe: Lucky Lemon Cream Pie

Lucky Lemon Cream Pie

The Lucky Lemon Cream Pie baked by Lorraine Parry of Kingman, Arizona won Best of Show honors as well as First Place in the Cream Category at the National Pie Championships.

Filling:
2 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
9 tablespoons cornstarch
2-1/2 cups boiling water
3 eggs, beaten
1/4 teaspoon grated fresh lemon peel
9 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 to 4 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon lemon extract

Combine sugar, salt and cornstarch in a 2- or 3-quart saucepan. Blend well. Add boiling water and place over medium heat, stirring rapidly until mixture is smooth. Bring to a full, rolling boil to thoroughly cook the cornstarch. Remove from heat. Add a little of the hot pudding to the eggs while stirring rapidly. Return egg mixture to hot pudding and reheat, stirring constantly until smooth and bubbly.

Remove from heat, add butter, lemon juice, lemon extract and lemon peel. Stir until butter is melted. Pour filling into cooled, baked pie shell. Chill. Serve topped with whipped cream sweetened and flavored with lemon extract to taste.

Crust:
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup margarine
1/3 cup vegetable shortening
1/3 cup lard
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon nonfat dry milk
3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup very cold water

Using a mixer, cream together all four fats. Add sugar, baking powder, salt and dry milk. Add half the flour and mix well. Add water and blend using mixer. Add remaining flour and mix with hands to form a pliable, tender, easy-to-handle dough. Shape into a ball, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours.

Roll out half the pastry on a floured surface to form a circle 1/8-inch thick. Place the dough over the outside of a 10-inch pie pan. Cover the bottom with parchment paper and add pie weights. Trim edge with sharp knife and prick bottom and sides several times with a fork. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 12 to 15, remove parchment paper and weights, and continue baking until golden brown. Take from the oven and let cool.