Arizona Lemons- Sour Cream Pie

Except from this book: I picked up a piece of pie and shoved it at her. "Eat," I said, "and tell me if I will win Best Cook."

She took the pie and said, "You are mad, but they say mad cooks make the best sauce."



I have discovered the amazing flavor of fresh lemons. Eaten just moments after hanging on the tree. Oranges that filled the air with an almost overwhelming perfume. Oh, the joys of being a fruit farmer! I was a farmer for a second or two while on a recent excursion back west to visit family and seek new employment opportunities.



I also reacquainted myself with my passion for reading. Specifically "Keturah and Lord Death" which I read for the third time. If you love foodie books this one is for you!! It is one of my absolute favorites. When first suggested I kindly declined saying, "I don't read romances." It isn't that kind of romance..read it and find out.



The combination of:

having fresh lemonshaving just read a lemon talestumbling on a great blog called Food for Thoughtfinding a new pie crust recipe to try

propelled me into making my favorite lemon sour cream pie.



The pie crust recipe I used was found.....I can't remember where. It claimed to be "no fail". I found it again on all recipes.com. It claimed you didn't even need to roll it out..but for me that is part of the fun.



Very sticky stuff and it made enough for 4 pie crusts!! So I have been making pies and tarts for the kids.



Something is wonderful about crust. I love decorating and forming the pie crust ever so gently.



I am hoping for flaky. My most common problem with pie crust is that it shrinks in the pan and does not hold its beautiful shape (even when using a pie chain).



Two of the crust-I did have to try just pushing it in place. Not my style or my girls: they told me it was ugly..to ugly to fill and could they eat it.



We came home with our luggage stuffed with lemons, grapefruit, and oranges. In fact, I was wishing I had brought another piece of luggage for fruit. Never thought I would say that about fruit!!! The lemons held so much juice! not like store bought lemons that produce a minuscule amount.



If you put a piece of plastic wrap on the pie filling when it is hot and then take it off once it has chilled completely you will not have the layer of "scum". JT loves the scum but I do not. You will not even loose any of the filling! Jen, you have to try this.



The topping turns out loose...I always forget to make the whipped cream super stiff!



Finished pie!! This is a great summer pie because it is very refreshing and light.

Sour Cream Lemon Pie

The best lemon pie for summer time. This tastes like summer! From a Canadian Junior League cookbook this recipe was published again in Junior League Centennial Cookbook.

Filling

1 cup sugar

3 Tb cornstarch

1 Tb (cake) flour

1 Tb lemon rind

1/3 lemon juice

1 cup light cream

Bring slowly to boil and stir constantly.

4 Tb butter

Add butter and cook until very thick and smooth. Cool.

1 cup sour cream

Add to above and put in baked pie shell. Refrig till ready at least 4 hours.

Whipped Cream Topping

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 tea almond extract

2 Tb confectioners sugar

Whip the cream until very thick.

1/2 cup sour cream

Fold into whipped cream. Spoon over lemon pie filling.

Grated lemon rind

Sprinkle on top.