“Once you make this, you will find it will be the only lemon pie recipe you will ever need. I guarantee!!!” ~ Mama Peggy
Unlike traditional lemon meringue filling, which is basically a translucent, super-tart lemon gel. This is softened by all the dairy. The lemon is front and center, but it’s smooth instead of sharp. You don’t actually taste sour cream. It just keeps the pie from being sickly sweet.
Ingredients
- ▢ — 1 cup sugar
- ▢ — 4 Tbs. cornstarch
- ▢ — 1 cup milk
- ▢ — ¼ cup unsalted butter (cubed)
- ▢ — ¼ cup lemon juice
- ▢ — 3 Egg yolks, slightly beaten
- ▢ — 1 cup full-fat sour cream
- ▢ — 1 9-inch pre-baked pie shell
Instructions
- ▢ — In a heavy saucepan (off heat), whisk together the sugar and cornstarch until completely blended and free of lumps.
- ▢ — Whisk in the cold milk and beaten egg yolks until smooth. (Holding back the acid and butter here ensures the starch hydrates cleanly without curdling the milk or fighting the acid).
- ▢ — Place over medium heat. Whisk continuously, scraping the bottom and corners of the pan.
- ▢ — Once the mixture thickens, bring it to a true, gentle, bubbling boil.
- ▢ — Continue boiling and whisking steadily for 1 full minute (large, volcanic bubbles bursting at the center). This denatures the egg enzymes that would otherwise liquefy the starch overnight.
- ▢ — Remove the pan from the heat.
- ▢ — Whisk in the cubed butter and lemon juice until the butter melts and the mixture is glossy and uniform.
- ▢ — Press a piece of plastic wrap or wax paper directly onto the surface of the pudding (to prevent a skin from forming).
- ▢ — Let sit until cooled to room temperature (about 45–60 minutes).
- ▢ — Once cooled, gently fold in the sour cream until completely incorporated.
- ▢ — Pour into your baked pie shell, smooth the top, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (or overnight) before slicing.
- ▢ — Top with Cool Whip*.
Becky
September 23, 2018 8:06 amWhen I made this, I followed the instructions precisely. I’m not sure where I went wrong, but the pie did not set up. It stayed runny after overnight refridgeration. The filling tastes great, but it’s definitely not a pie, as it has a sauce consistency.