Lemon Truffle Pie

My mom requested a lemon dessert for her birthday last week.  I scoured my hundreds of pins on pinterest looking for just the right thing.  I came across this lemon truffle pie and started salivating.  Only lemon things and Frank's Red Hot buffalo sauce can make me salivate just by thinking of it.  Maybe I should combine the two.  Nah.  Better left apart.  However, buffalo chicken fingers for dinner and this for dessert may just send my salivary glands into overload.

Anywho, I took this pie over to my brother's house where we were getting together for my mom's birthday.  We all ate dinner and sat down to play some games.  We were playing for about an hour, and I could sense my dad getting a little restless.  He finally bursted out, "Is it time for dessert yet?!  How long does that game last?!" I dished up the pie and served my dad first because, even in my 30's, I am a daddy's girl.  I heard a loud moan followed by, "Oh, my gosh, Callie!!  This pie!"  Everyone else was served up shortly thereafter, and there was not a crumb left on anyone's plate but my three year old's because she doesn't eat much of anything.  One of my brothers said, "Why is it that everything you make is the best of that dessert that I've ever tasted?!"

This pie is great because it is lemony, cream cheesy, delicious, and no bake.  You can whip it up in about 20-30 minutes, and everyone will love it!

Lemon Truffle Pie:
source: https://doublebatch.wordpress.com/2011/02/20/lemon-truffle-pie/
adapted from Lion House Pies

1 graham cracker crust (see below) or baked 9-inch pie shell
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/3 cup sugar plus 1/4 cup sugar, divided
1 1/2 cups water
5 tablespoons lemon juice
zest from 2 lemons
4 egg yolks, beaten
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 cup white chocolate chips
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup whipped cream
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium saucepan, combine the cornstarch and 1/3 c sugar.  Add the water and stir.  Add in the lemon juice and lemon zest.  

In a bowl, beat the egg yolks with a fork.  Add the 1/4 c sugar and mix it in.  Add the egg yolk mixture to the mixture in the saucepan and whisk well.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly.  Once it boils, cook it for one minute- continuing to stir constantly.

Remove the saucepan from the heat.  Add in butter and stir until melted.  Reserve 1 1/2 c of the lemon liquid for the top layer.  Add the 1 c of white chocolate chips into the remaining lemon mixture in the saucepan.  Stir until they are melted and well mixed in.  Cut the cream cheese into small cubes and add to the mixture in the  saucepan.  Stir until they are well mixed in and no chunks remain.  (I put mine in a stand mixer with a whisk attachment and beat it on medium speed until it was light and fluffy.)

Pour this mixture into the graham cracker crust.  Smooth it out.  Pour the reserved 1 1/2 c of lemon mixture on top of this.  Chill for at least two hours.

Just before ready to serve, whip the cream until stiff peaks form.  Add 1/3 c sugar and vanilla.  Mix well.  Spread the whipped cream over the top of the pie.