Avi Pie without a pie?
Mother’s Day is the perfect week for pie.
How is Mother’s Day for you? The day used to be only good. As time passed, the day changed. Now there’s pain too. Quiet in our home for one becomes quieter. To combat the still, I divert my attention on the mother I have and the one I always will be. Is that the way through? To push the bruise when needed, while focusing on those in the here and now. That’s the only way I know.
And by making pie.
For the past three weeks, every time I see my mom she hands me a bag of lemons. Is she trying to tell me something?
Lemon Cream baby doll.
Lemon Cream it is. And to her liking.
Creamy lemon wrapped in a cardamom ginger spiced crust topped with a ‘not too sweet’ dollop of whipped cream.
Graham Cracker Spiced Crust
In my mom’s opinion, from ailment to ingredient, ginger’s the answer. This crust combines the warmth of vanilla with the spice of cardamom and ginger.
Sweetened Condensed Milk
My mom was born and grew up in Hong Kong, so sweetened condensed milk is a must. Stories of she and her brothers being given a spoon and running off to play are commonplace. Although my mom now takes sweets in slivers, when a can is cracked, the woman’s eyes widen and the child inside reappears with spoon in hand.
Lemon and Zest
About six fresh squeezed lemons make one cup. For lemon order of operation, I first roll them on the counter (for maximum liquid), then zest, halve, and juice. The tart of the citrus works wonders in cutting the sweet of the condensed milk.
Whipped Cream
A subtle cinnamon ginger spiced whipped cream tops this pie. Because cinnamon is in the same vein as cardamom, these spices complement this pie well.
We made Key Lime Pie for months and decided to swap the lemon for lime. The pie was a dream. The addition of spice and added flavor brought a welcome change.
I grated pieces for the top. When cutting them into smaller pieces,
I found a heart in the middle.
Sending Mother’s Day love.
Cardamom Ginger Lemon Cream Pie
Ingredients:
9" Deep Cardamom Graham Crackeer Crust
- 1 3/4 cup, twelve sheets graham crackers
- 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 7½ Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted sea level (6 Tablespoons)
Filling
- 6 egg yolks, large - room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 14-ounce cans sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup fresh lemon juice, about 6 medium size
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Whipped Cream
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1-2 Tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
Instructions
Graham Cracker Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Grease your pie pan with a light coat of butter, then set aside.
- Crumb graham crackers in a food processor. Pulse or roll until the crumbs are fine and uniform in size.
- Combine graham crackers, brown sugar, cardamom, ginger, and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Mix well, then add the melted butter. Stir with a fork, then with your hands. Coat the crumbs until the butter is evenly distributed.
- Spread the crumbs evenly across the bottom of the pie plate. With your hands, a tart tamper, or the back and side of a small measuring cup, press the graham cracker mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the pie plate. Refrigerator for 10 minutes.
- On the center oven rack, bake the crust for about 7 minutes. The crust won't turn golden, but when finished, will smell graham cracker fragrant. Let the crust cool on a wire rack.
Lemon Cream Filling
- In a medium-sized bowl, beat the egg yolks and zest with an electric mixer on medium to medium-high until fluffy, about 4 minutes. Gradually add sweetened condensed milk and continue beating on until the mixture is thick and fluffy, another 4 minutes. Reduce speed to low, slowly add the lemon juice, vanilla and almond extracts. Mix until just blended. Pour the filling into the cooled pie shell.
- Place the pie on the center oven rack and bake 15-20 minutes or until the filling first appears set and has a slight jiggle in the center.
- Transfer pie to a wire rack and allow to cool completely. Tent loosely with foil and refrigerate until cold, at least two hours.
Cardamom Ginger Whipped Cream
- About 15 minutes before you're ready to serve, chill a medium-sized (preferably glass or metal) bowl and the beaters from your electric mixer in the freezer.
- Using an electric mixer, start at medium speed beating the cream, powdered sugar, cardamom, ginger, and vanilla. Increase the speed to medium-high and continue to beat until stiff peaks. Avoid over beating.
- Pipe or spread whipped cream topping over pie. Slice and enjoy!
Notes
- the only change at 6,300 altitude, is using 8 tablespoons of butter in the crust vs. 6 at sea level, the rest of the recipe is the same.
- if your crumbs feel dry when mixing, wet your fingers under water and continue with the crust.
- the crust can be made ahead, cooled, and covered. I usually make and keep my crust up to one day before, but I've read they can be frozen too.
- four minutes is awhile to beat the eggs and zest, but it's worth it. Some lemon zest wraps around the beaters. I detangle and save the lemon goodness.
- for an unbelievable key lime pie, swap lemon for lime.
- for the crust - leave as is, omit spices for full graham cracker, or add a different kind of zip by swapping 10 ounces (2.5 cups) of gingersnap cookies.
- for the best whipped cream, use a medium-sized deep glass bowl.
- place the bowl and beaters in the freezer for a minimum of fifteen minutes.
- whipped cream can be made early, covered, and refrigerated for up to a few hours.
- the pie can be whipped and stored in the refrigerated for up to one hour, but after that, it begins to "weep" or release liquid.
