Kneaders Cream Cheese Lemon Truffle Pie

This is a GREAT Spring/Easter Pie! I love the vanilla chocolate, cream cheese and lemon combination. Although this is a slightly more complicated recipe, I have tried to fool proof it for you. This might not be a throw together, but you will DIE when you taste this creamy, smooth and refreshing pie. 

Ingredients:

Baked Pie Crust

1 T Sliced Almonds

1/2 Cup Water

3 T Sugar

Zest of 1/2 Lemon 

1 Egg

1 T Cornstarch 

1 1/2 T Fresh Lemon Juice

1 T Butter

1 Cup Vanilla Chocolate Chips or Coins

1 (8 oz) Package Softened Cream Cheese

1 Cup Sweetened Whipped Cream 

Directions:

Toast almonds on cookie sheet at 350F, until golden brown. Set aside to cool. 

In a heavy sauce pan whisk together water, sugar and lemon zest and bring to a boil.  Meanwhile in a large mixing bowl mix egg and cornstarch. After your sugar mixture has boiled, VERY SLOWLY add sugar mixture to egg mixture in the bowl. (This is a foul proof way to "temper")

 *The reason we temper is to prevent the egg from cooking to quickly and making our mixture lumpy. If you have never tempered before this is a great way to make sure you are successful!* 

Pour entire mixture back into the sauce pan. Stirring continually over medium heat until thickened. Remove from heat and add lemon juice and butter. Stir until butter is melted and mixture has slightly cooled. 

Pour 1/2 of the hot filling into a bowl. Set this bowl aside, this will be our lemon layer of the pie. 

Add vanilla chips to the filling remaining in the sauce pan. Stir until chips are melted. Add softened cream cheese to hot vanilla chip mixture and beat together. Spread this mixture into the bottom of the baked pie shell. Pour the set aside lemon filling on top. Chill for two hours. 

Top with sweetened whipped cream and garnish with toasted almonds. Keep refrigerated until time to serve.