Ingredients
- 1 homemade or commercial graham cracker pie crust
- Zest of 2 lemons (about 1/8 cup)
- Juice of 3 lemons (about 1/2 cup)
- 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 envelope of unsweetened Lemonade powdered drink mix (like Kool-Aid), optional
- 1 (8 ounce) tub of whipped topping (like Cool Whip), thawed and divided
- 16 About 16 vanilla wafer cookies, optional
Preparation
Step 1
Prepare pie crust according to the instructions below. Zest and juice the lemons, setting aside a pinch of the lemon zest for garnish. In a medium bowl, combine the sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, lemon zest, and contents of the Kool-Aid packet, if using; whisk until smooth.
Remove about 1/2 cup of the whipped topping from the tub and set that aside in the refrigerator for garnish. Gently fold the remaining whipped topping into the lemon mixture until well blended. Pour this into the crust and place vanilla wafers all around the rim of the pie plate. Place pie into the freezer for several hours, or preferably overnight, before serving.
Before serving, let stand at room temperature for about 15 minutes to thaw. Spread the reserved whipped topping over the top of the pie, leaving just a small edge around the outside. Garnish with the zest. Store leftovers in the refrigerator, or re-freeze.
~Cook's Notes~
The lemonade packet provides a little color and extra tang but you can eliminate it for a less tart lemon flavor. For a more vibrant color, add a drop or two of yellow food coloring to the filling.
To make a graham cracker crust, combine 1-1/2 cups of graham cracker crumbs, about 8 planks or roughly one package, with 1/2 cup (1 stick) of melted butter, and press into a pie plate. Can use as is, or bake in a 350 degree F preheated oven for about 5 minutes to toast, if desired. Can also substitute a cookie crust, or prebaked regular pastry crust.
Tip: To make it easier to remove from the pan, grab a large skillet or pan and place a small amount of very hot water in it. Gently set the pie plate into the hot water, taking care that water does not go over the rim! Let it sit for about 30 seconds, and this will help to release the crust for easier serving.