FROSTY LEMONADE PIE

 This post has to be a first for me. I have made it a habit that I only shared recipes that I could recommend or at least friends could recommend. I make the distinction because I don't eat hot, spicy foods or certain foods I don't personally like. I do think years ago I did share a recipe that I had seen repeatedly on Facebook that looked so good but I just knew the picture wasn't the result of the recipe because of the ingredients. I made the recipe and shared it just to show what the recipe really produced, but that's a little different.

The Frosty Lemonade Pie is a recipe I made last week. I found the recipe in another Taste of Home Light & Tasty magazine from 2005. It looks delicious in the picture and since it was lower in calories, I decided to make it. It made a pretty pie and we ended up saving it for the next day because you were supposed to freeze it for 4 - 5 hours before cutting. 

The recipe instructed you to remove it from the freezer 15 minutes before serving. Well, 20 minutes after I took the pie out of the freezer, I could just barely get a sharp knife into the center of the pie. We waited an hour before I cut it and then I could lift the whole pie out of the pan with the knife in it. I still let the slice rest on my saucer for a while before I tried to eat it. It was so cold and frozen that it didn't have a lot of taste but what taste it had was so tart. 

It was so humorous watching and listening to Wayne and me eating that first piece. He couldn't quit saying how much he loved it  (he does like "tart") and I couldn't quit saying "it's so tart." I managed to eat it but I told him I was not going to put it back in the freezer and see how it tasted the next time. It did come out nicely, but still was tart TO ME. 

Three days after we first cut it, I gave Friend Fran a piece when she brought me some cupcakes her daughter Sheila had made and wanted to share with me. She said she would enjoy it with her dinner that night. I told her to make sure and let me know what she thought and it was okay if she didn't like it. The next day I sent her a text asking about it since I had not heard from the evening before. She said she had had dinner with her granddaughter and grandson-in-law the night before and had not eaten it until that morning, but she liked it. SHE LIKED IT! I must say I noticed when I ate a small piece the night before it didn't taste as bitter.

So that is my dilemma! I decided I would share the recipe because it is a good pie but offer a suggestion if you don't like "tart" as much as Wayne does. 

The Editor's note for the recipe says ,"This recipe was tested with Crystal Light lemonade soft drink mix. One container (2.1 ounces) contains four tubs. Every recipe in these Light & Tasty magazines I have always refer to the amount of Crystal Light to use as a "tub". I call them packets and they do also on the packages now. I'm not sure they sell them anymore with only 4 packets in a container either. If I do the math and divide 2.1 ounces by 4, each packet would be 0.5222... ounces. I have packets that make 2 quarts of Raspberry Lemonade but they don't have a weight on them. I also have packets of Aldi's brand Fit & Active that makes 2 quarts that say the net weight is 0.58 oz. The packet of the latter appears to contain more mixture in the packet than the Crystal Light and that is what I have. I also have packets that you use in a 16 - oz bottle of water. The packet lists the net weight as 0.14 oz. 

I told Wayne the next time I make it, I might use the smaller packet (0.14 oz) and see how it tastes. Needless to say, he didn't like this idea very much because as I have said several times, HE LOVES THE PIE AS I MADE IT. No matter which size of mix you decide to use, I would not recommend putting it in the freezer, but make it the night before you intend to serve it. 

FROSTY LEMONADE PIE

1     package (8 ounces) fat-free cream cheese

1     packet sugar-free lemonade soft drink mix

1     cup cold fat-free milk

1     package (1-oz) sugar-free instant vanilla pudding mix

1     carton (8 ounces) frozen fat-free whipped topping, thawed (I used a sugar-free whipped topping instead.)

1     reduced-fat graham cracker crust

lemon cookie, crushed, for topping (I used 1 Girl Scout Lemonade cookie crushed)

In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and soft drink mix until smooth.

Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl often.

In another bowl whisk the milk and pudding mix for 1-1/2 minutes

until smooth (mixture will be thick).

Beat into the cream cheese mixture.

Beat in a third of the whipped topping.

Fold in remaining whipped topping.

Spoon into the crust.

Sprinkle the cookie crumbs on top.

Cover and store in refrigerator for at least 4 to 5 hours. I would recommend making it the day before you want to serve it.   

If you read above, you know the pie was supposed to be frozen. This is the slice I finally managed to cut ...

Then after I decided to just store the pie in the refrigerator, it looked like this... It held a shape and tasted more like it had been described, " This creamy pie..."

I'm sure I have stressed way too much over this recipe and post. I do highly recommend that you try it and would love to hear from you and tell me your results and share which size of packet you used. I think the Raspberry Lemonade packet would taste good also.