For sure at the top of my lemon dessert list, this Lemon Cream Pie is so tangy and tart with just the perfect amount of sweet.  I found it many years ago in Real Simple magazine but I’ve made some changes over time and it’s become a King Family classic.  In the original recipe they use gingersnaps for the crust – but I love it with speculoos or biscoff cookies.  Even if all you have around is graham crackers it will taste fantastic.  It tastes like sunshine, so it’s a great pie for a bad mood, there’s no possible way to be grumpy when eating a slice of sunshine!

Crust:
9 ounces speculoos (or gingersnaps or graham crackers) about 2 cups
6 tablespoons melted butter
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Filling:
2 large eggs
1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest, plus more for serving
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar

1. Heat oven to 350° F. In a food processor, process the cookies or grahams until fine crumbs form. Add the butter, granulated sugar, and ½ teaspoon of the salt and pulse until moistened. Press the mixture firmly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate, using a straight-sided dry measuring cup to help. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until the edges are dry and set, 16 to 18 minutes. (Note: The bottom will still appear moist and soft but will become firmer as it cools; this is a crunchy cookie crust, not a soft, graham cracker-style one.) Let cool.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, condensed milk, lemon zest and juice, and salt. Pour the mixture into the crust and bake until set in the center, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool and then refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours.
3. Using an electric mixer, whip the cream and confectioners’ sugar on medium until soft peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Spread on the pie, sprinkle with the additional zest, and serve immediately.

Recipe adapted from Real Simple Lemon Cream Pie