Regular readers know my issues with pie: making a crust, eating a crust, and syrupy filling. But sometimes you want a pie, and I basically always want this pie in particular, which is salty (trust me–it’s good) and creamy and tart. It’s perfect for winter, when lemons are in season, and it’s also perfect for summer when you want something creamy and cold but not ice cream.
Oops. Someones has a midnight snack before I got to take the photo.
It’s a relatively cheap pie to make, and it’s possible that you have the ingredients on hand already. Plus, it’s one that isn’t all that common, so when you bring it to a dinner party, you’ll usually get to share something new with friends.
This makes two 10-inch pies. If you are using an 8 inch pie plate, adjust the recipe to 3 sleeves of saltines, 1 c. butter, 2/3 c. sugar, 2 cans of milk, 8 eggs, and 1 c. lemon juice.
Ingredients:
For the saltine crust:
- 4 sleeves of saltine crackers
- 1- 1 1/4 cup softened unsalted butter (2- 2/12 sticks)
- 1/2 c sugar
For the filling:
- 3 cans (14 ounces each) sweetened condensed milk
- 12 egg yolks
- 1 1/2 cup lemon juice
- grated lemon peel
- Maldon salt
Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
To make the crust: Crush crackers by hand or using a food processor, being careful not to turn them to dust. Combine with sugar. Knead in the butter. Press into two 10-inch pie plans. Chill for 15 minutes, then bake for 18 minutes or until the crust just begins to brown. Allow to cool at least slightly.
To make the filling: Place milk in mixer bowl, then thoroughly beat in eggs. Add lemon juice and beat well again. Pour into saltine shell and bake for 16 minutes or until the filling has set. Chill thoroughly, then top with Maldon salt (and/or whipped cream) and slice.
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