Limoncello Mousse Pie Recipe

Limoncello, a lemon liqueur produced in the southern part of Italy, is traditionally served chilled after dinner to aid digestion.  It gives this dish a clean, sweet flavor with none of the tart, bitter flavor of fresh lemon juice.  If you are not a fan of lemon, try orangecello in its place.  It has a mild, sweet, aromatic orange flavor.

Recommended Equipment:
1 9 inch pie dish

Ingredients:
all-butter pie crust:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tspn salt
8 tbsp unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
3 - 4 tbsp ice water

pie:
1 1/4 cups milk
1/4 cup limoncello
1 tbsp lemon zest
1/2 cup sugar
3 tbsp cornstarch
2 egg yolks
1/4 tspn salt
1 tbsp butter
1 tspn vanilla extract
1/2 tspn powdered gelatin
1 tbsp cold water
1 cup heavy whipping cream
3 tbsp powdered sugar
1 tspn vanilla extract

Preparation:
all-butter pie crust:

1. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, and salt.
2. Add the butter to the bowl; with your fingers, rub it into the flour until the mixture looks like coarse sand studded with pea sized pieces of butter.
3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and form a disk.  Wrap in plastic and chill for at least 30 minutes, or up to 3 days.
4. Remove the dough from the refrigerator for 10 minutes before rolling out.  Roll out on a lightly floured surface to a 1/8 inch thick, 12 inch circle, turning the dough often to be sure it does not stick.  Dust the surface with additional flour if needed.
5. Fold the dough in half and place it into a 9 inch pie plate.  Unfold and carefully press the dough into the pan.  Use kitchen scissors or a paring knife to trim the dough to within 1 inch of the pan's edge.
6. Cover with plastic and chill until ready to bake.  Covered, the crust will keep up to three days in the refrigerator.

pie:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  Line the pie crust with parchment paper or a double layer of aluminum foil and add pie weights or dry beans.
2. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the paper and weights and bake for an additional 10 to 12 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown all over.  Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
3. In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, limoncello, lemon zest, sugar, cornstarch, egg yolks, and salt and whisk until smooth.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it begins to simmer and thicken, about 8 minutes.
4. Remove from the heat and add the butter and vanilla; stir until melted.  Pour through a strainer into a separate bowl.  Place a layer of cling plastic wrap on the custard and chill for 1 hour.
5. In a small bowl, mix the powdered gelatin with the cold water.  Let stand for 10 minutes, then melt in the microwave for 10 seconds.  Allow to cool for 5 minutes, or until cool to the touch.
6. In a medium bowl, add the cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla.  Whip on medium-high speed until it starts to thicken, about 1 minute.
7. Slowly pour in the cooled gelatin and whip until the cream forms medium peaks, about 1 minute.  Cover and chill for 30 minutes.
8. Add 1/2 of the whipped cream to the limoncello mixture and gently fold to incorporate.  Pour into the prepared crust and garnish the top with the remaining whipped cream.  Chill for 4 hours before serving.  

Recipe courtesy of Not-So-Humble Pies by Kelley Jaggers

Italy  [ print this recipe for Limoncello Mousse Pie ]