Woo With Pie

In the early days of Moi's and SB's courtship, when I was trying to decide whether or not date him long term, I went over to his place one afternoon to find him working away in the kitchen. Making this pie - Lemon Icebox Pie as his people call it.

Lemon Icebox Pie was the deciding factor for Moi. There's nothing sexier than a man who cooks. Doesn't matter that once they got you, the only time they ever enter a kitchen ever, ever again is to pop a beer or stare forlornly at the contents of the refrigerator, whining that they can't find the milk when it's right there in front of them!

Anyway.

This pie is sooooooo good, it will be your go-to sweet for just about everything you need to accomplish with another human being: seduction, contrition, bribery, and utter happiness making.

What:• 1 box 'Nilla Wafers

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (the Pirate tells Moi to go to Trader Joe's and buy Irish butter NOW), softened but not melted

• 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

• 4 large eggs, separated and at room temperature

• Finely grated peel of two large lemons*

• Juice of three large lemons, about 2/3 to 3/4 cup

How:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Set aside 16 'Nilla wafers (and 5-6 more if, like Moi, you like to snack while baking). Place the rest of the cookies, along with the 2 tablespoons of softened butter, in the bowl of a food processor or blender and pulse until finely crushed. Pour into an 8" round pie pan and pat firmly and evenly along the bottom and up the sides. Ring the pan with the 16 'Nilla wafters, spacing evenly, like so:

Make filling by whisking together in a large bowl with a balloon whip the can of sweetened, condensed milk, the 4 egg yolks, lemon juice, and the grated lemon peel (* use the finest setting of a cheese grater for this, or a special tool called a microplane, and make sure you don't grate the bitter, white pith of the peel – just the bright yellow stuff). When finished whisking, mixture should have a pudding-like consistency.

Pour into pie shell:

Now, make the meringue topping like I told you.

Top pie.


Bake in the middle of the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until nicely (as opposed to meanly) browned:


Cool on wire rack about 1.5 hours. Refrigerate and chill, 3-4 hours before serving.

Hint: the cookies are a guide to how large a slice you should cut. You been good and done your exercises for the day? Cut a three-cookie slice. Vegged out all day? You may want to bump that down to one or two cookies there, ace.

Either way, pour a big ol' glass of milk to go with it and enjoy!