Michigan Cottage Cook: THE BEST LEMON PIE FILLING OR PUDDING PLUS HAVING YOUR "PIE" WITHOUT RUINING YOUR DIET

This is how I have my "pie" without having to spend a week in the gym working it off. I place the pie filling in tiny taster dishes and enjoy them, one after a meal, with a swirl of whipped light cream.

I love lemon meringue pie. My Dad always told me not to say I love something unless it could love me back. Lemon meringue pie loves me back by staying on my hips to be with me forever. Therefore I make my very favorite pie filling as a pudding. I proportion it out into any proportions and enjoy the flavor and texture without all the calories. As metabolism slows with age, it becomes important to improvise to enjoy all the pleasures of life.

Recently in the supermarket I found bags of Meyer Lemons. Back in the middle 1960's I lived in Marquette, Michigan which is on the shores of Lake Superior. In the midst of all that cold and snow, I had a house plant of a Meyer Lemon. I made this recipe with the lemons from that miniature tree and I never forgot the wonderful taste. Meyer Lemons are from China. They are believed to be a cross between a lemon and a Mandarin orange. The flavor is sweeter than a lemon and the aroma is intoxicating. I was thrilled when I found them in the market because before this you had to have a tree of your own to have the lemons.

THE BEST LEMON PIE FILLING AND PUDDING

This is the best recipe my dear friend, Nelda and I've found for this classic American pie. Nelda and I have both tried many recipes and keep coming back to this recipe which is from an old copy of Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook from the 1950's to early 1960's. My copy is well-worn as it is my favorite cookbook for pies.

1 1/2 c sugar

7 T cornstarch

Dash of salt

1 1/2 c water

3 beaten egg yolks

1 t grated lemon peel

2 T butter, I use 1-Tablespoon

1/2 c lemon juice

Ingredients: Sugar, cornstarch, salt, egg yolks, lemons, and butter.

In a sauce pan, combine sugar, cornstarch and salt. Mix well. Stir in water. Bring to a boil over medium heat and stirring constantly. Cook until mixture thickens, stirring constantly for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir small amount of hot mixture into egg yolks. Put heated egg mixture into pan of sugar mixture. Bring to a boil and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add lemon peel and butter. Slowly stir in lemon juice. Cool to lukewarm. Pour into cooled baked pastry shell or serve as pudding in bowls.

Grate lemon rinds and juice lemons.

Put sugar, salt, cornstarch in a saucepan. Mix well. Add water and stir well.

Separate the eggs from the yolks. It is always best to break the egg into a bowl, not used for either the whites or yolks, to separate in case it is a bad egg or the yolk breaks in the separating process.

The separated egg yolks.

Beat yolks well.

Bring sugar/water mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook until mixture thickens, stirring constantly for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir small amount of hot mixture into egg yolks. This warms the egg mixture so it mixes into the sugar/water mixture and doesn't make scrambled eggs instead of pie filling.