It might be a  Southern thing that when it gets hot, we think about certain foods.  Or maybe that’s just a foodie thing?  Anyway, I have shared quite a few of my Granny’s famous recipes with you in the last year or so, and Lemon Icebox Pie is one of her standbys that CANNOT be topped.  She made them every summer and now I make them too.   It’s so easy, even if you can’t boil water, you can do it.   It’s my all-time fave, and this statement is from someone who loves chocolate so much she’d marry it.  Anyway, it’s NOT Lemon Meringue…don’t even pretend to compare it to that….it’s 1,000 times better.

What makes Lemon Icebox the best pie you’ve ever eaten in your life is condensed milk……liquid Heaven in this house.   Granny taught us from day one the BEST part about any recipe using condensed milk is getting to eat a little bit of it (or a lot of it)  on a spoon after you’ve opened the can.  Don’t leave that step out.  It’s essential.

Here’s what you need:

One graham cracker crust (pre-made is just fine)

3 eggs

1 can condensed milk (14 ounce)

5 Teaspoons Sugar

1/2 cup lemon juice

How to Make It:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Carefully crack eggs and separate them, placing the whites in a clean, dry bowl and the yolks in another.  To the yolks, add condensed milk and lemon juice.  Stir with a fork or whisk until combined.  Pour this mixture into the pie crust.  Place pie in oven and immediately proceed to next step.  Beat reserved egg whites until stiff to make a meringue and add sugar.  Remove pie from oven (you are only leaving it in for as long as it takes to whip your egg whites) and spread meringue on top.  Use your knife to make nice swirls and peaks so it looks nice and pretty.  Return to oven and keep watching it.  Remove from oven when peaks of meringe start to brown.  Chill completely and keep pie in fridge.