Lemon Truffle Pie

Jenni - sorry this is probably too late for your Christmas dinner - but I'm sure it will be just as tasty any time!

Recipe & his own personal tips - posted by Rick.

Lemon Truffle Pie

Pre-baked 9" pie shell

1 cup water
4 TBSP sugar
2 egg
2TBSP cornstarch
2 TBSP sugar
zest of 1 lemon
3 TBSP fresh lemon juice
3 tsp butter
1 cup vanilla chips (not the entire package!!)
1 (8oz) pkg cream cheese
1/2 cup whipped cream, sweetened
(1/2 cup?? Just cover the pie and make it look good....can you ever have too much whipped cream??)
1 TBSP toasted almonds (optional)

[Tip: prepare the lemon zest and juice first...add the egg, sugar and cornstarch into the bowl while the sugar and water mixture in the saucepan come to boil]

Put water & 4 TBSP sugar in saucepan & bring to a boil. In large bowl, mix egg, cornstarch, 2TBSP sugar & zest of lemon. Slowly add hot water mixture to bowl, then pour entire mixture back into saucepan. Heat until thickened, stirring often. Remove from heat & add lemon juice & butter. Stir until mixed & cool. Pour 90% lemon filling in a bowl (leave silver dollar size blob).

[the lemon filling in the bowl will be the middle layer, between the vanilla-lemon chocolate bottom and the whipped cream top]

Add vanilla chips to filling remaining in pan. Stir until chips are melted. Place cream cheese in bowl [or just turn off the heat and place cream cheese in the pan and stir]. Add filling with vanilla chips to cream cheese and beat together. Spread this mixture in bottom of pie shell. Spread lemon filling in the bowl from above on top [tip: spoon lemon filling onto the chocolate layer, spreading it as you go...vanilla-lemon chocolate layer is very soft and lemon filling has cooled, so be fast and gentle]. Chill for two hours.

Top with whipped cream and garnish with toasted almonds or sprinkle toasted almonds over whipped cream (optional). Makes one pie. I won the Westchester 1st Ward Pie Cook-Off with this recipe [I take every opportunity to emphasize this victory / championship].