Lemon No Bake Cheesecake Parfaits

It's time to THINK SPRING and make some of these Lemon No-Bake Cheesecake Parfaits. Light and delicate, they are the perfect dessert, or treat, anytime you make them. 

I love making them in mason jars, so they are an easy "on the go" treat to take anywhere; to the office, on a picnic, or to a backyard barbecue. What's really great is the lids keep the bugs out!

RECIPE
Cheesecake Filling
Ingredients
1 - 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup sour cream
1 tbls. vanilla
2 tbls. lemon juice
1/2 - 8 oz. container cool whip or 1 cup heavy cream
Lemon Pie Filling
See recipe for Candied Lemon Peel

Method
Set out cream cheese to soften. Once softened, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth and combined.

Add vanilla, lemon juice and sour cream and beat until well blended.

Mix in whipped heavy cream or cool whip until fluffy.  Cover with plastic wrap and allow to cool 1-2 hours.

Lemon Pie Filling
Ingredients
2 cups water
2 cups sugar
1 tsp salt
6 tbls. corn starch
Juice of 2 lemons
Grated rind of 1 lemon
4 egg yolks (lightly beaten)
1 tbls. butter

Method
Mix water, sugar, salt, cornstarch, lemon juice, grated lemon rind and egg yolks in large sauce pan, whisking to combine.

Cook over med-high heat, stirring often to prevent sticking.  Bring to a boil and cook one minute, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat and stir in butter, stirring until melted.  Pour into bowl, cover with plastic wrap and allow to cool on counter-top or refrigerate until ready to use.

Assemble
In 8 oz. mason jars, add 1 large spoonful of the cheesecake filling. Top cheesecake layer with 1 large spoonful lemon pie filling, then 1 large spoonful cheesecake filling. Add another spoonful lemon pie filling, and lastly 1 large spoonful cheesecake filling.

Sprinkle tops with diced candied lemon peel if desired.

Cover jars with lids and store in your refrigerator.

Cook's note - leftover lemon pie filling will keep for a few weeks in your refrigerator, or use it to make hand pies!

Enjoy,
Mary

© Cooking with Mary and Friends. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Cooking with Mary and Friends with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Lemon Meringue Pie

Updated and Revised March 2020

This is a vintage recipe from my Great-Grandmother on my dad's side. She was an excellent baker and this made from scratch Lemon Meringue Pie is the only one we serve in our family.

It's the perfect tart and sweet dessert, excellent during the winter citrus season when you want something bright and cheerful, but also lovely for Easter or any other special occasion.

It's also a favorite of our daughter-in-law, and we have a lot of requests here for "favorites," do you? This one wants Lemon Meringue, another wants Pumpkin, the other Pecan, and another Apple. As is the "norm" here, they all get their favorites.

RECIPE

Ingredients
2 cups sugar
6 tbsp. corn starch or cook-type Clear Jel
pinch salt
2 lemons
2 cups water
4 eggs (farm fresh if you can)
1 tbsp. butter

Crust
1 1/3 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup lard (can use shortening)
3-4 tbsp. cold water (ice water works best)

Method
Crust:  Preheat oven to 475 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, mix flour and salt. Add shortening and cut in with pastry blender or fork until it resembles coarse crumbles. Add water and mix with a fork until the dough forms a ball, being careful not to overwork the dough.

Turn out onto a floured board, and roll out into a large circle (big enough to fit into 10" pie pan). Trim excess and crimp edges using the tines of a fork dipped in flour all around the pie pan. Bake in a preheated 475-degree oven for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned; remove from oven and allow to cool.

Filling:  In a large saucepan, mix together sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Stir in water, the juice of 2 lemons, and the grated zest (rind) of one lemon. Separate egg yolks (reserving egg whites), beat yolks, and add to saucepan; stir in 1 tbsp. butter.

Heat over medium-high heat, stirring frequently until the mixture bubbles, begins to softly boil and thickens; continue cooking for one minute. Pour into cooled pie shell.

Meringue:  In a large mixing bowl, add reserved egg whites and 4 tsp. cold water. Using a mixer, whisk/beat egg whites slowly adding 1/4 cup sugar and continue to whisk/beat until stiff peaks form. Spoon meringue on top of pie, smoothing to the edges.

Using the back of a spoon, form some peaks with the meringue. Bake in 350 oven 15 minutes or until meringue is lightly browned. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Chill in refrigerator.

Cook's note - If you don't have time to cool the pie shell, you can proceed with adding the filling to the pie shell, topping with meringue and baking.

Yield:  One 10" pie

Also seen on Meal Plan Monday - Thanksgiving Desserts

Also seen on Meal Plan Monday Thanksgiving Edition

Enjoy,
Mary

© Cooking with Mary and Friends. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Cooking with Mary and Friends with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Fried Lemon Pies

Saw this recipe the other day over on Joan's Chocolate, Chocolate and more Chocolate's page and just had to try it out!  I love fried pies, and the lemon just looked so good.  Only thing I wanted to do was make my great-grandmother's lemon pie filling (a family favorite), so I set out to do that today!  So glad I did ...  These would also be GREAT with Flour me with Love's  Easy Homemade Puff Pasty from Scratch ... I plan to make them that way the next time.
Lemon Pie Filling

Ingredients
2 cups water
2 cups sugar
1 tsp salt
6 tbls. corn starch
Juice of 2 lemons
Grated rind of 1 lemon
4 egg yolks (lightly beaten)
1 tbls butter

Method
Mix water, sugar, salt, cornstarch, lemon juice, grated lemon rind and egg yolks in large sauce pan, whisking to combine.  Cook over med-high heat, stirring often to prevent sticking.  Bring to a boil and cook one minute, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and stir in butter, stirring until melted.  Pour into bowl, cover with plastic wrap and allow to cool on counter top while you make your crust.

Pie Crust
Ingedients
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup shortening
3-4 tbls cold water

Method
Mix flour and salt in a large bowl, cut shortening in with pastry blender or fork.  Add water and stir until dough almost cleans sides of bowl.  Turn out onto flour board and roll out with flour-dusted rolling pin into a large rectangle.  Cut dough in half width-wise with a sharp knife, then cut each 1/2 into 3-4 sections. 

Fried Pies
Place small amount of lemon pie filling on one end of dough, fold top over and seal all around with a fork dusted in flour.  Fry pies in 350 oil in a large skillet for one minute, turn and continue frying 30-45 more seconds.  Remove from oil and drain on large cooling rack with paper towel underneath.  Dust with granulated or powdered sugar.

Hand Pies - See here how to make these as Hand Pies!

Enjoy,
Mary

© Cooking with Mary and Friends. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Cooking with Mary and Friends with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.