Leigh's Lemonade Pie: Sunshine On A Plate

 Hello there, my feral followers!

Welcome back to The Feral Housewife, where the kitchen is my safe space and the recipes are as wild as my hair on Monday morning. This week we are whipping Lemonade Pie. If you love lemonade or pie or both in the summer time (and honestly, who doesn't?), then get ready to meet your new obsession.

Why Lemonade Pie is the Best Thing Ever:

Imagine the refreshing zing of lemonade, but in a creamy, dreamy pie form. It's the perfect dessert to cool you down on a hot day or to bring a bit of sunshine to your kitchen even when the weather outside isn't cooperating. Plus, it's super easy to make, which means more time for sipping iced tea and pretending you're lounging in a hammock instead of dealing with daily chaos.

My recipe only makes 1 pie, but since we all love this pie so much, I ALWAYS make 2 pies. Luckily the recipe doubles easily. So all of the following pictures are for 2 pies.

Step 1: Making the Crust:

You can absolutely use a store bought crust, there is no shame in short cuts here, but this time, I made it homemade. Here is how I did that:

While the oven was preheating to 350 degrees, I buzzed 2 sleeves of graham crackers in the food processor. I usually put them in a baggie and smack them with the rolling pin (which is so very satisfying) but today I cheated. *Can you use boxed crumbs? Absolutely! Can you use gluten free grahams? You sure can! Can you use a different cookie for this? You betcha, but you may need to use less sugar in the crust.

While the processor did the hard work, I melted 12 tablespoons of butter.

Once the crumbs were nice and finely crumbled, I added my sugar and salt in them, gave them a quick toss around with a fork, then poured in the melted butter. Using a fork toss your crumbs until they are combined and resemble wet sand. 

Once everything was mixed and crumbly, I divided it between my 2 pie plates and pressed the crust into the bottom and up the sides of the plate. 

Then they go in the 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes. Once set and toasted, remove them from the oven and cool completely.

Now on to the filling!

Make sure the cream cheese is room temperature. No one likes a lumpy pie, right?

In a bowl, mix the instant lemon pudding with 10 ounces of evaporated milk. Let it sit and thicken up while mixing the cream cheese and lemonade mixture. This mixture will end up VERY thick.

With a mixer, beat the cream cheese and thawed lemonade until smooth. 

Gently fold in the pudding mixture (or in my case let the mixer do it), until everything is well combined. If you want to add a little sugar, now is the time, I usually don't because we like it tangy.

Then I divided the mixture between my 2 pie plates and spread it out evenly. Trying hard not to lick the spatula. 

The hard part is letting it rest in the fridge for a few hours or overnight. Good things come to those who wait (or so I am told).

Before serving, top with whipped topping or fresh whipped cream, if you want an added layer of fluffy goodness. 

Leigh's Pro Tip: Since the recipe only uses half of a container of lemonade, I always double the recipe and make 2 pies. 

Why You Will Love It:

Lemonade Pie is the epitome of summer desserts. It's light, refreshing, and has just the right amount of tartness to balance out the sweetness. Plus, it's no-bake, which means no heating up the kitchen on those sweltering southern days. Perfect for picnics, barbecues, or just because you need a little slice of sunshine.

So there you have it, my feral friends- a pie that's as easy as it is delicious. Let me know in the comments if you give it a try!