Four Layer Lemon Pie Recipes

Steps:

• Pie Crust: Whisk flour with a fork while still in the bag or cannister. Gently spoon out flour into measuring cups. (This reduces flour by as much as 1/8 to 1/4 cup).
• Then sift flour, powdered sugar, and salt. Add shortening and cut into pea sized bits with pastry blender. Add cold water gradually until just dampened. Place on waxed paper and gather into ball from the outside corners. Press dough into a 6-inch pancake shape. Wrap with plastic wrap.
• Chill at least 30 minutes and then roll out between 2 large pieces of plastic wrap. Remove 1 side of plastic wrap, lightly flour, if necessary, and place into a 9-inch clear glass deep dish pan.
• Remove plastic wrap and flute edges. Prick bottom and sides with a fork. Chill for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 475 degrees F. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Use extra pastry for cut-outs in the shapes of lemons, stars, etc. for decoration.
• Bottom Layer: In saucepan combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Mix with wire whisk; blend in lemon juice and cold water; then add egg yolks and blend until smooth. Add butter and gradually stir in boiling water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly; boil 2 minutes; remove from heat and add lemon extract, zest/peel, and food coloring. Partially cool for 30 minutes, and pour into the baked pie shell. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before adding second layer.
• Second Layer: In a small bowl, cream sugar and cream cheese with spatula until smooth. Add milk and stir until well blended. Add pudding and beat with electric mixer for 2 minutes until thickened. Pour on bottom layer. Chill for at least 30 minutes.
• Top Layer: Cream together the sugar and cream cheese until smooth. Fold in the whipped dessert topping and spread on top of cooled lemon pudding. Garnish with extra pastry cutouts, citrus or mint leaves. Chill at least 4 hours before serving.
• This recipe was provided by professional chefs and has been scaled down from a bulk recipe provided by a restaurant. The FN chefs have not tested this recipe, in the proportions indicated, and therefore, we cannot make any representation as to the results.

Steps:

• On a lightly floured surface and using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out a disk of dough into a circle about ¼-inch thick. Starting at one end, gently roll up the dough onto the rolling pin. Unfurl the dough over a 9-inch pie plate, preferably ceramic, and press it in lightly, making sure it's lining the plate.
• Trim so that there's about ½ inch of excess dough hanging over the edge of the pie plate. (If the dough feels warm, refrigerate it for 15 minutes.) Tuck the excess dough under itself so it is flush with the edge of the pie plate; leave the pie like this for a straight-edge finish, or crimp as desired. Dock the base and sides all over with a fork and refrigerate at least 30 minutes, and up to 2 hours.
• Roll out the second disk of dough to ¼-inch thickness. Cut out several small triangles (or other shapes from the dough); do as many as you like, and as many as a few dozen for a more intricate design. You can cut them freehand, trace a stencil using a paring knife or use a small cookie cutter. Transfer the shapes to a baking sheet lined with parchment and chill at least 30 minutes.
• Place a rack on the bottom shelf of the oven, and place a baking stone, if you have one, on the rack. Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Use a small brush to evenly paint egg wash on the edge of the crust. Cut a square of parchment paper and use it to line the crust. Fill with pie weights (or dried beans) up to the top edge. Place the plate on a baking sheet lined with parchment or foil.
• Transfer the baking sheet to the oven, placing it directly on the baking stone if using. Bake until the outer edge is beginning to become golden brown, 17 to 20 minutes. Remove the parchment and pie weights. If the dough puffs up anywhere, you can puncture it with a fork. Continue to bake until the base is baked through and the outer edge is deeply brown, 12 to 15 minutes more. Cool the crust completely.
• Egg wash the top of the triangle cutouts. Transfer to the oven on the middle rack and bake until they are evenly golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool completely.
• When the crust is cool, make the filling: In a medium pot, whisk the lemon juice, lemon zest and ½ cup/120 milliliters water to combine. In a medium bowl, whisk the sugar, cornstarch and salt to combine. Whisk this mixture into the pot and then place it over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture comes to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium and cook at a simmer, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes.
• In a medium, heatproof bowl, lightly whisk the whole eggs and egg yolks. When the lemon mixture has come to a simmer, gradually add about ¼ of the hot liquid to the egg yolks in a slow, steady stream while whisking constantly to combine.
• Whisk the egg yolk mixture back into the pot, and switch to a heatproof spatula. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens, about 5 to 7 minutes. It should come to a boil - not small bubbles around the outer edge, but fat bubbles from the center of the pot. (You should also see a distinct line that quickly closes in on itself if you drag your spatula through the curd.) Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the butter, a few cubes at a time. Mix thoroughly to combine.
• Strain the lemon curd through a fine mesh sieve into the cooled pie crust, and spread into an even layer. Place plastic wrap directly over the surface when the pie is still hot and chill until the curd is set, at least 3 to 4 hours and up to overnight.
• If you like, create an optional spiral on the surface of the pie once the curd is fully cool: Transfer the pie to a cake turntable. If the surface looks uneven, smooth it with a small offset spatula. Then place the spatula in the center of the curd at a 45-degree angle, and begin to rotate the turntable while you gently move the spatula towards the outer edge. Move steadily and not too slowly.
• Keep the pie chilled until ready to serve. Just before serving, arrange the cutouts on the surface of the pie in 6 diagonal lines. If you like, alternate the points of the triangles on each line to create a more graphic effect. Serve with whipped cream, if desired. Store leftovers in the refrigerator wrapped tightly in plastic wrap.

Steps:

• 1st Layer: Combine butter (melted), flour and pecans and press into a 13" X 9" casserole dish.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.
• Let cool.
• 2nd Layer: Combine cream cheese (softened), sugar and 1/2 of large whipped topping.
• Spread over cooled crust.
• 3rd Layer: Combine condensed milk, egg yolks and lemon juice, spread over 2nd layer.
• 4th Layer: Top with remainder of whipped topping.
• Garnish with lemon slices and mint, if you like.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter two 9-inch-diameter springform pans with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Combine first 6 ingredients in large bowl. Beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 28 minutes. Cool cakes completely in pans on racks.
• Using small knife, cut around sides of pans to loosen cakes. Remove pan sides. Using serrated knife, cut each cake horizontally in half. Place 1 cake layer, cut side up, on platter. Spread with 1/4 cup preserves, then 3/4 cup frosting. Top with second cake layer, cut side up. Spread with 1/4 cup preserves, then 3/4 cup frosting. Repeat with third cake layer. Top with fourth cake layer, cut side down. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Press almonds onto sides of cake. Chill until frosting sets, about 2 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; keep chilled.)

Steps:

• In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in half of the pie filling. Fold in the whipped topping. Spoon into crust. Spread remaining pie filling over cream cheese layer. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• Beat pudding mixes, milk and juice with whisk 2 min. (Mixture will be thick.) Spread 1-1/2 cups onto bottom of crust.
• Whisk 1/2 the COOL WHIP into remaining pudding mixture; spread over pudding layer in crust. Top with remaining COOL WHIP.
• Refrigerate 3 hours or until set.

Steps:

• On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to a 1/8-in.-thick circle; transfer to a 9-in. deep-dish pie plate. Trim to 1/2 in. beyond rim of plate; flute edge. Refrigerate 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 425°. , Line crust with a double thickness of foil. Fill with pie weights, dried beans or uncooked rice. Bake on a lower oven rack until edge is golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Remove foil and weights; bake until bottom is golden brown, 3-6 minutes longer. Cool on a wire rack. , For lemon filling, combine 3/4 cup sugar, cornstarch and salt in a small saucepan. Stir in water until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat; add remaining sugar. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in butter, lemon zest and, if desired, food coloring. Gently stir in lemon juice. Cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. , For cream cheese filling, beat cream cheese and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Fold in whipped topping and lemon juice. Spread over pie shell., Cover cream cheese filling with lemon filling. Refrigerate pie overnight. , If desired, dollop additional whipped topping over lemon filling. Refrigerate until serving.