Orange Cream- sicle pie

So we've all heard of lemon curd...but when's the last time orange curd had a chance shine? This recipe came out of an intense craving for a good old fashioned creamsicle. Not the fanciest of treats, but the smooth flavor of vanilla cream and bright tangy citrus flavor or orange make a very memorable combination. So I thought why not make it into a summertime pie!? Orange Cream-cicle Pie is a new family favorite and fully satisfies that creamsicle craving!

For the Pie Crust I started with a butter/ shortening crust. This time I decided to use my pastry cutter and some good ol' elbow grease. I mean I have to work off some of this baking right? I cut the butter and the shortening into the flour then added the egg, ice water and a bit of vinegar until it formed a dough. I patted this together and put the dough in the freezer. I was short on time, otherwise the fridge is fine if you had a hour. But mommy's can use all the help they can get, so after 30 minutes in the freezer, I rolled it out and blind baked the crust. Now onto curd.

I improvised a lemon curd recipe and used fresh squeezed valencia orange juice instead of lemon juice to make the curd. It turned out great, but the valencia orange, was actually too sweet. I needed some acidity to balance the sweetness. Unfortunately I didn't have a lemon in the house, but I did have lime. So lime it was! I was a bit nervous about the lime flavor, but it turned out beautifully. The juice of half a lime was exactly what it needed! I put the curd in the fridge and started on the cream.

This is the same cream I used to make the Briermere Farm Copycat Raspberry Cream. It starts by beating softened cream cheese and powdered sugar together. Once combined, beat in the sour cream, and finally fold in the whipped cream. It's a tangy cream filling that really stands up to sweet fruit well. I piled this cream filling into the baked pie shell, then topped it with the cooled orange curd. Put this into the fridge overnight, though an hour or 2 would have done the trick. 

This pie is reminds me of those hot summer nights as a kid eating creamsicle popsicles on the porch. It's great nostalgia, it's a great pie!

Orange Cream-sicle Pie

Ingredients

For the Crust:

I used the Pioneer woman's Perfect Pie crust recipe, and it truly does come out perfect every time!

For the Orange Curd

• 3/4 c fresh squeezed orange juice, plus zest
• 1/4 c sugar
• 7 egg yolks
• Juice of half a lime

For the Cream Filling

• 8 oz cream cheese softened
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream whipped to stiff peaks

Method

1. Pre heat your oven to 425F. Prick the bottom of your pie dough, then place aluminum foil in the bottom of your pie dough and fill with pie weights. Bake the pie crust for 12-15 minutes. Take the foil and weights out and bake for another 5-10 minutes till golden brown. Set aside to cool completely.
2. Make the Orange curd by whisking the egg yolks and sugar together in a sauce pan. 
3. Once combined, add in the orange juice, orange zest and continue whisking over medium heat. The mixture will thicken as it heats. It's ready once the the curd is thick enough to leave streaks on the bottom of the pan. Add the lime juice and mix till combined. Set aside to cool or place in the refrigerator.
4. Make the cream filling by beating the cream cheese and powdered sugar together in a stand mixer
5. Beat in sour cream and vanilla. 
6. Once incorporated gently fold in the whipped cream.
7. To assemble the pie, Spoon 1/3 of the orange curd into the bottom of the pie crust, then pour the cream filling on top. Smooth it out to an even layer, then spoon on the rest of the orange curd. Cover and refrigerate for atleast and hour to overnight. Slice and enjoy!