Page 206 - United States of Pie

Meyer Lemon Cream Pie

I’m a native Californian, now residing in the Northeast. People out
here seem to have some funny ideas about Californians. I will be the
first to tell you, I’m not a surfer babe; in fact, the ocean rather scares
me. Though I was always happy to be just a stone’s throw from the
redwoods, I never was much of a hiker. I never had any aspirations

for the silver screen; I don’t even go to the movies much. But there is
one thing that’s true about all Californians: we do come from a
paradise where bountiful fruit trees grow right in our own backyards.
One of my favorites is the fragrant Meyer lemon, a hybrid of a
standard lemon and a mandarin orange, native to China, which was
first introduced to the United States by Frank Meyer in 1908. Meyers
are plump, thin-skinned, deep yellow in color, and much sweeter

than standard lemons. The Meyer lemon has all the perfume of a
lemon but almost none of the bite. Californians have been known to
gobble them up thinly sliced, peel and all. Come winter, I enjoy them
squeezed over fish, sliced and placed under the skin of a roasted
chicken, juiced in a cocktail, and, of course, as the centerpiece of a
delicious homemade pie.

This is an icebox pie, meant to be served straight from the
refrigerator. A spicy gingersnap crust is the perfect complement to
the bright, cooling cream filling. If Meyer lemons aren’t readily
available where you live, this pie is also wonderful made with good
old standard lemons. Just increase the heavy cream to 1 cup in
order to hit the right balance between tart and sweet.

1 Gingersnap Crust

3 large eggs