Limoncello Icebox Pie

When faced with the task of bringing dessert for my family's Mother's Day celebration, I wanted something quick and delicious.  Since I work mostly nights, anything I can whip up after work that finishes making it's magic overnight in the freezer is a perfect choice.  Limoncello Icebox Pie is one of my favorite desserts to bring to spring gatherings.  It is simple to make and lemon is the perfect refreshing flavor for the promise of warmer months ahead.

Every good pie starts with an amazing crust.  I get bored with the usual graham cracker crust, so I used peppery, slightly sweet gingersnaps.  They give an additional layer of flavor to the pie and complement the citrusy tang of the creamy filling.  I have always been under the notion you cannot have too much buttery, crumbly, sweet-salty crust, so I usually double all my pie crusts.  The perfect crust gives a crunchy snap when fortunate forks seize a bite.

Preheat oven to 325°

For the crust:
12oz gingersnap cookies
7 tablespoons butter, melted

Add cookies to a food processor and pulse until crumbly.

If you do not have a food processor, just place cookies in a plastic resealable bag and smash with a rolling pin or pulverizer of choice.  I sometimes do it this way anyhow to take a little stress out on unsuspecting sweet things.  Add melted butter and press crust into the bottom and halfway up the sides of a 9 inch spingform pan.

For the filling:
Two 14-ounce cans sweetened condensed milk
1 cup lemon juice (from about 6-8 large lemons)
Zest from 2 lemons
1/4 cup limoncello liqueur
8 large egg yolks

The best way I have found to juice lemons and other citrus is to cut the lemon in half, make two cuts either way across the flesh, and squeeze your heart out.  You can also use a citrus reamer or juicer, but I prefer this method for it's hands on approach.

Before you juice the last two lemons, zest the yellow part of the rind with the smallest holes in a box grater, or with a microplane if you have one.

Add limoncello to the lemon juice to make 1 1/4 cups of lemony liquid.  Combine this in a medium bowl with the sweetened condensed milk and whisk until smooth. Set aside.

There is something about separating eggs that I love.  It is the firm crack on the side of my favorite coffee cup, the wonderful sliminess of dipping my fingers in and capturing the bright yellow yolk, and the patience of letting all the egg white drip through until finally the yolk is isolated.

Place yolks and zest in a stand mixer and beat until pale, about 3 minutes.  If you do not have a stand mixer, use a large bowl and beat with a hand mixer on high speed. Beat in milk and lemon mixture until smooth.  Pour into prepared crust and place on a sheet pan.  Bake for 25 minutes.  The center will still jiggle a bit when you take it out of the oven.

Cool for about an hour and then loosely cover with plastic wrap and place in freezer overnight, or for at least 8 hours.

I finish this pie off very simply with just a touch of whipped cream and a gingersnap on top.

This quick and simple pie is a hit for any gathering and tastes like you spent all day baking.

Wondering what to do with the leftover egg whites?  Make a delicious scramble...