frozen pie crust, you’ll need to prebake it following the directions on the package before adding the filling and baking it again. Still, it’s pretty easy. And you could still use whipped topping from a tub or can if you’re pressed for time.
Of course my version is the most time consuming (and most delicious) of all. I like to start with a homemade, butter-rich pie crust and top it with fresh whipped cream, piped into decorative swirls. This latest pie was made with my sourdough pie crust, but you can use whichever pie crust recipe you like best.
Sometimes I make a regular all-butter pie crust and sometimes I make one that uses a combination of butter and shortening. If you like the type of pie crust that you find at Marie Callender’s, you’ll want to use a pie crust recipe that is made with just vegetable shortening.
My husband prefers the sourdough pie crust with this lemon cream pie because of the amazing flavor, but if you are looking specifically for a tender, flaky crust, you might be disappointed. The sourdough crust is delicious, and it does have some buttery flakes, but it is a very sturdy crust, and can’t really be described as tender and light.
I like to use a homemade stabilized whipped cream topping, which is just sweetened heavy cream with a bit of gelatin added. The stabilized whipped cream will hold it’s shape and won’t weep, even if the pie is decorated the day before you eat it.
We’ve found that this pie will keep perfectly well for up to a week, if it’s stored in a covered container in the refrigerator.
If you don’t need to make the pie in advance, stabilizing the whipped cream isn’t really necessary. I have included instructions for both stabilized and regular homemade whipped cream in the printable recipe at the bottom of this page.
You can use a piping bag and open star decorating tip to create whipped cream swirls or you can just spread whipped cream over the entire pie. I usually opt for swirls, sometimes covering the pie completely, sometimes leaving the center uncovered.
Okay, as you can see, there are many options for this pie. The filling is so delicious that the pie will be a hit no matter how much effort you put into the crust and topping. So just do what works best for you and your schedule.
