Fat Lemon Pie

Analogous to just about everything else in 2012 so far, this lemon pie took two tries, two different recipes and an effort for me to repress my creativity so the chemistry would have room to do its thing. Yep, 2012 has been like that...pretty much from day one. So I baked up a new twist on Mardi Gras (I'm not even vaguely Catholic) to hopefully make lemonade from my burgeoning Meyer lemon tree as a sign of gratitude and hope (for better health and fortune) moving forward (in time, that is). Instead of Mardi Gras pie, we have Fat Lemon Pie. I find the French quaint, don't you? 

I started with this recipe but got too creative thinking I could sneak in a little cream cheese in place of one of the eggs and yes, (Kitchen Idiot) that double boiler mixture never boiled. So my first lemon pie never congealed. Determinedly, entered the linkilicious (many recipes) world of Lemon Chess pie. Bill Clinton has a recipe and there is an interesting history of the term "chess" in pie recipes with regard to American Southern cuisine, which is where chess (possibly chest, as in pie chest) pie recipes originated. I won't dive into the world of southern accents and expressions since I was brought up partially southern and...it hurts when I do that. I ended up making this Shockingly Delicious recipe.Lessons learned though:  don't skimp on the sugar and tone down the zest a dash (I think I toned it up because I am so in love with as much of my lemons as I can possibly use).

I added the garnish of whipped cream rosettes (yes, that's what they are, :p) with purple, gold and green sprinkles. I was inspired by our local bakery, La Farine, where I'd been hungrily eyeing their King Cake for Mardi Gras (gone now) artfully drowned in green, gold and purple sprinkles.

On behalf of our strange BSoD-like 2012, Happy New Moon. I'm rebooting the year and sending you good health and good fortune.