Here is a great dessert recipe, perfect for any occasion, Lemon Gingersnap Icebox Pie by Erin French. Erin French is the owner and chef of The Lost Kitchen, a forty seat restaurant in Freedom, Maine, that one has to send in a postcard for a dinner reservation lottery. Her restaurant was recently named Time’s World’s Greatest Places, and Bloomberg includes her in “12 Restaurants Worth Traveling Across the World to Experience.” She has quite a life story which she vividly describes in her bestselling memoir Finding Freedom.

This might be a perfect dessert for your upcoming Easter gathering and celebration for many reasons. It is best to make it the day before, so advance preparation eases up your schedule. You slice it straight from the freezer when ready to serve. Makes one 9” pie, serves 8.

Lemons are in season, and who doesn’t love a bright, cool, and creamy lemony dessert. It is so easy to make, and the citrus-ginger combination is addicting.

This icebox pie just looks like spring. You can have fun and be creative with garnish. I used fresh sliced kiwi, but you could use other fruit such as blueberries, or candied ginger pieces or even dainty edible flowers. Make your whipped cream the day before, and dessert is done.

Lemon gingersnap Icebox Pie

Lovingly Adapted from Erin French’s Big Heart, Little Stove

For The Crust:

1 box gingersnap cookies (about 9 ounces)

1/4 cup granulated sugar

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For The Filling:

6 large egg yolks

1/4 cup granulated sugar

Pinch of kosher salt

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

2 tablespoons grated lemon zest

3/4 cup fresh lemon juice

Freshly whipped cream, for serving

Make The Crust:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the cookies until the crumbs are the consistency of coarse sand. Transfer the crumbs to a medium bowl, add the sugar, and melted butter, and stir to combine.

Pour the crust mixture into a 9-inch springform pan or pie dish and press evenly over the bottom of the pan. Bake until just barely golden and puffed, 8 to 10 minutes. Set aside to cool completely before adding the filling.

Make The Filling:

In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the egg yolks, sugar, and salt and whip on high speed until the mixture is light in color, 3 to 4 minutes. With the mixer running, slowly add the sweetened condensed milk, and then the lemon zest and juice.

Pour the filling into the prepared pan and freeze for at least 6 hours, or overnight.

If using a springform pan, unmold the pie. Slice into wedges and serve immediately with freshly whipped cream. Add a garnish of your choice of fruit, dried ginger, or dainty edible flowers.

If you are not serving the entire icebox pie at once, return the remaining pie to the freezer, otherwise it will melt. Enjoy!

Bon Appétit et Bon Weekend…Bonnie