Pat: This cool, creamy pie is as refreshing as a glass of lemonade—and it goes down just as easy. We use lemonade concentrate, sweetened condensed milk, and whipped cream to create a fluffy, light-textured filling, then cradle the filling in a graham-cracker crust and freeze the pie before serving. The result is a beat-the-heat, not-too-heavy dessert that can easily follow a big feast—and still disappear (not that anyone in our family is ever too full for dessert!). The lemon-zest garnish is not essential, but it sure is beautiful and fun to make, and it adds another little kiss of lemony love.

　　

Ingredients

makes one 9-inch pie

　　

Graham-Cracker Crust

2 cups graham-cracker crumbs (see note)

　　1/4 cup sugar

　　7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

　　

Lemonade Filling

One 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk, chilled

　　One 12-ounce container Cool Whip topping

　　One 6-ounce can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed

　　1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest

　　1 recipe Candied Lemon Zest, for garnish (recipe follows)

　　

Candied Lemon Zest

2 lemons, well scrubbed

　　1 cup sugar, plus more for rolling

　　1/2 cup cool water

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

　　

Step 2

In a medium bowl, stir together the graham-cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter, until the mixture resembles wet sand. Transfer the crumb mixture to a 10-inch glass pie plate, and pat out to an even thickness. Bake the crust for 7 minutes, until fragrant and lightly golden, and then cool completely on a wire rack.

　　

Step 3

Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the chilled sweetened condensed milk and Cool Whip together in a medium bowl. Gently fold in the lemonade concentrate (do not over mix or the mixture will become soupy). Pour the mixture into the graham-cracker crust, mounding it as high as possible, and freeze overnight. Serve straight from the freezer, garnished with Candied Lemon Zest and cut into wedges.

　　

Candied Lemon Zest

Step 4

Use a vegetable peeler to remove the zest from the lemons, keeping the strips as long as possible. Use a paring knife to remove the bitter white pith from the zest, and discard. Using a sharp chef’s knife, finely julienne the strips of zest, and then place them in a small bowl. Cover the zest with boiling water; let stand for 30 minutes, then drain.

　　

Step 5

Heat the sugar and cool water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, stir until the sugar is completely dissolved, then add the julienned zest. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover, and let stand at room temperature overnight. Remove the zest, and drain on wire rack. Roll the zest in the sugar. Dry on a wire rack. The zest can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

　　Cooks' Note

　　You might have a spoonful or two of extra lemonade filling. If that’s the case, by all means, freeze it in a small cup or baking dish for a lemonade “mousse” snack for the cook.

　　We use prepared graham cracker crumbs for this crust, because it’s so easy to buy them already ground. If you prefer to use the crackers, you’ll need to blend about eight of them to make 2 cups total. Using a food processor, just pulse the crackers until the mixture is in coarse crumbs, add the sugar and melted butter and pulse until finely ground, then transfer the mixture to the pie pan.

　　From Down Home with the Neelys by Patrick and Gina Neely Copyright (c) 2009 by Patrick and Gina Neely Published by Knopf.Patrick and Gina Neely are owners of Neely's Bar-B-Que in Memphis and hosts of several Food Network shows, including the series Down Home with the Neelys, one of the highest-rated programs to debut on the popular Food Network. High school sweethearts who reconciled at their ten-year reunion, they have been married since 1994. They live in Memphis with their two daughters.Paula Disbrowe collaborated with Susan Spicer on Crescent City Cooking and is the author of Cowgirl Cuisine.