bright pies for dark days … Lemon Sour Cream Pie

It’s been a rough, dark week. We were reminded, once again, that we can’t possibly know what’s going on in someone’s head. That we all have to pay more attention to those we love, be kinder, be more understanding. We need to talk less, listen more. To not be afraid to reach out, to say something, say anything. That we shared an uncommon connection to public figures we don’t know and the level of emotion it dredged up surprised us all. It’s sad. So very sad. So we do the best we can, cope in the ways we know and the new ways we learn. For me, I often bake.

Last week was also one of my dearest friends birthday so I took comfort in making her a pie. It felt good. She’s a lemon lover so I decided to try a recipe I found tucked in one of my grandmothers old cookbooks, a scrap of paper with a list of ingredients written in her neat hand. “Lemon Cream Pie” looked like a typical lemon curd with the additional of whole milk and a good dose of sour cream. Not so different from a lemon curd with whipped cream folded in really, something I’d made 1000 times though sour cream seems far more interesting. It sounded promising.

While the original recipe called for a typical pie crust (I assume – the recipe just said “crust”), I decided to mix it up and try something I read about on Food52 a while back – a crumb crust made with saltines. Something about the crunchy saltiness of a plain old cracker combined with a rich, tangy lemon curd sounded quite nice. It was. Crunchy, a little salty, a little sweet, it perfectly offset the creamy, puckery filling.

This pie is pretty fabulous, especially if you like lemon. Sweet but tart in that way a good lemon pie can be, the creaminess from the milk and sour cream were a welcome addition. To fancy it up, I added piped rosettes of whipped cream stabilized with a bit of gelatin as I didn’t want them to melt all over the pie by the time she got to eat it. Droopy melting cream on a birthday pie are not a happy sight and it’s a very easy thing to do. 24 hours later that cream was still holding.

STRESS THERAPY BAKING FACTOR: BAKE AND RELEASE. It’s been a crappy week. We could all use a slice of pie. Make a pie for those you love. Make a pie and share it. Bake a pie and release it out into the world with joy and love and understanding. Pie is good. Pie makes people smile. Pie shows people you care. Make this pie and give it to someone, just because. Make their day.

I was going to post some phone numbers but that seemed disingenuous. Instead, I found this twitter thread from baker Allison Robicelli extremely enlightening, more informative and helpful than a string of numbers. I’ve experienced some dark ass times and can absolutely relate to what she’s saying. Read this and understand. Of course I would add bake and gift a pie to that list. Tell me a gifted pie wouldn’t make you feel loved and appreciated?

Other pie recipes: Shaker Lemon Pie, Coconut Chess Pie, Rhubarb Custard Pie, Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble Pie + Lard Crust, Sour Cherry Slab Pie, Ginger Peach Hand Pies, Blackberry Lime Pie, Classic Apple Pie, Concord Grape Pie & Purple Cow Pie Shakes, French Apple Pie, Salted Caramel Apple Pie, Classic Pumpkin Pie, Cider Apple Pie
nine years ago: Roasted Tomato & Asparagus Quiche
eight years ago: Cobbler & Cabining Annoyances
seven years ago: Rhubarb Syrup + Hipster Cocktails, Puff Pastry Asparagus Spears
six years ago: Pear Frangipane Tarts
five years ago: Lime Angelfood Cake, Mexican Chocolate Pudding Pops, Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Vanilla Cardamom Roasted Rhubarb
four years ago: Guinness Crème Anglaise
three years ago: Pickled Green Strawberries, Mango Lassi Freezer Pops
two years ago: Lemon Ricotta Doughnuts for National Doughnut Day, Vietnamese Flank Steak with Peanut Soba Noodles, Date Shake Popsicles
last year: Cold Sesame Noodles

LEMON SOUR CREAM PIE
makes one 9-10” pie serving 8-10

For the crust:
1 sleeve saltine crackers (about 5 ounces or 43 crackers)
5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (2 ½ ounces)
1 ½ Tablespoons sugar
pinch of kosher salt

for the filling:
1 cup sugar
3 ½ Tablespoons cornstarch
3 large egg yolks
1 Tablespoon lemon zest
½ cup fresh lemon juice
pinch of kosher salt
1 cup whole milk
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut in 1″ pieces
1 cup sour cream, full fat

for the whipped cream:
¼ teaspoon unflavored powdered gelatin
2 ¼ teaspoons water
1 cup chilled heavy cream
¾ teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

1. For the crumb crust: place the crackers in a large Ziploc bag, seal and give it a few bashes with a rolling in to break the crackers into smaller pieces.
2. Roll the pin over the bag the crush the crackers into fine crumbs, shaking the bag once in a while to redistribute the large pieces. You should end up with around 1 ¾ cups crumbs.
3. Add the sugar, a pinch of salt then knead in the butter until the crumbs hold together when pressed in your hand.
4. Press the crumbs into a 9-10” pie pan. Carefully press the crumbs up the pan sides, compacting as tightly as you can.
5. Refrigerate for 15 minutes, while you preheat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the lower third of the oven.
6. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the crust is golden brown then set aside to cool completely.
7. For the filling: in a medium heavy saucepan, whisk together sugar and cornstarch, then whisk in the egg yolks.
8. Next, whisk in the lemon zest, lemon juice and salt until smooth then finally whisk in the milk until well combined.
9. Whisk frequently over medium heat until the mixture becomes thick. It should coat the back of a spoon and leave a clear trail when a finger is dragged through (also known as nappé).
10. Remove from heat and whisk in the butter until smooth.
11. Cool to room temperature whisking occasionally.
12. When filling has cooled, whisk in the sour cream until smooth.
13. Pour the filling into baked crust, smoothing evenly.
14. Refrigerate at least 4 hours to set.
15. For the whipped cream: sprinkle the gelatin over the water in a microwave-safe bowl and let it stand for 3 minutes.
16. Microwave the mixture in 5-second increments until the gelatin is dissolved and liquefied. Let cool slightly while you whip the cream.
17. Whip the cream, sugar and vanilla in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or a large bowl, whisk and some elbow grease), on low speed until small bubbles form and then increasing the speed to medium.
18. When the whisk begins to leave a trail in the cream, slowly pour in the slightly cooled but liquid gelatin mixture then increase the speed to high
19. Continue to beat until soft peaks form.
20. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a large open star tip and pipe rosettes along the pie border.
21. Refrigerated, the pie will keep a 2-3 days.

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