Lemon Cream Cheese Pie With Strawberry Glaze!

Ok, so initially the plan was to make a strawberry cream cheese pie, but then I couldn’t get lemon curd out of my mind! I love lemon anything and the idea of lemon and strawberry together was irresistible!

Typically, you see graham cracker crust with cream cheese pie, but with lemons dancing through my mind already, I decided to use some of my favorite Trader Joe’s cookies that my son brought to me the week prior. Here they are in all of their glory:

They are so amazing on their own…light and slightly lemony. Yum.

 

CRUST:

I put 2 sleeves of cookies in my food processor and pulsed it until they were fine crumbs, then drizzled in 3 tbsp of melted butter and pulsed that until combined. I then pressed the mixture into a pie plate and popped it in the fridge while prepping the cream cheese filling.

FILLING:

• 8 oz cream cheese softened, not light
• 1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla powder
• 3 tbsp powdered sugar

Using a mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth. While continuously beating, slowly add sweetened condensed milk and then vanilla extract. Add powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Pour into the cool crust, then tightly cover and refrigerate until firm, at least 3 hours or up to overnight.

LEMON CURD: 

I use Ina Garten’s recipe, because she’s a genius and everything she makes is perfection. Here’s where I am getting the recipe: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/lemon-curd-recipe-1941910

Ingredients

• 3 lemons
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/4 pound unsalted butter, room temperature
• 4 extra-large eggs
• 1/2 cup lemon juice (3 to 4 lemons)
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

Using a carrot peeler, remove the zest of 3 lemons, being careful to avoid the white pith. Put the zest in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the sugar and pulse until the zest is very finely minced into the sugar.

Cream the butter and beat in the sugar and lemon mixture. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and then add the lemon juice and salt. Mix until combined.

Pour the mixture into a 2 quart saucepan and cook over low heat until thickened (about 10 minutes), stirring constantly. The lemon curd will thicken at about 170 degrees F, or just below simmer. Remove from the heat and cool or refrigerate.

STRAWBERRY GLAZE:

• 4 cups ripe strawberries, hulled
• ¹⁄₂ cup sugar
• 4 ¹⁄₂ tsp cornstarch, dissolved in
• ¹⁄₄ cup cold water
• 1 tbsp butter
• 2 tsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed

DIRECTIONS:

1. Crush enough strawberries to make 1 cup pulp.
2. Place pulp in medium saucepan; add 1/2 cup sugar and cornstarch mixture.
3. Cook and stir over medium heat 2 minutes or until mixture boils, thickens and is clear.
4. Remove saucepan from heat; stir in 1 tablespoon butter and lemon juice.
5. Cool to room temperature.

TIP!

I give the filling in the crust about 30 mins at least to sit in the fridge before topping with the lemon curd, then another 30 mins before I put the strawberry glaze on too! So good!

Any questions, shoot me a message!

-Mia