Orange Cream Cheese Pie!

Now I don't know about you, but when I read this recipe I got all sorts of excited for summer and picnics. This recipe is coming at you from Jim, all the way out there in Washington D.C. He suggests enjoying it with an Oliver Momi! Sounds delish to me.

ORANGE CREAM CHEESE PIE

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups crushed graham crackers

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

3 tablespoons sugar

4 to 6 navel oranges (2 – 2 1/2 lbs. total weight)

8 oz. (one brick) FULL-FAT cream cheese, at room temperature

1 can (14 fl. oz.) sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice, strained

Directions:

1.            Place an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.

2.            In a bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and sugar and stir until the crumbs are well moistened.  Pat the mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom and all the way up the sides of a 9-inch pie pan or dish.

3.            Bake until the crust is firm, about 5 to 7 minutes.  Set aside to cool.

4.            Using a Microplane (rasp) grater, zest one of the oranges to measure 1 teaspoon finely grated zest.

5.            In a bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the cream cheese until smooth.  Add the condensed milk, orange zest, and vanilla and beat until smooth.

6.            Now stir in (or beat in with a mixer on low speed) the fresh, strained lemon juice.  Continue stirring/beating just until the lemon juice is blended in and the filling has thickened slightly.

7.            Pour the pie filling into the prepared graham cracker crust and smooth the top.  Place the pie in the refrigerator to chill while you prepare the orange topping.

8.            Using a sharp knife, peel the rinds off of all of the oranges the following way: slice the top and the bottom off of each orange, exposing the flesh underneath; now trim away the sides in strips, following the contour of the fruit with the knife so that the rind and all of the white pith underneath are removed; finally, slice the orange crosswise into thin rounds.  Set the orange rounds on paper towels to drain.

9.            Remove the pie from the fridge and arrange the orange slices on top of it, overlapping them in a decorative spiral pattern from the center until the filling is covered completely.

10.          Refrigerate the finished pie until chilled, about one hour, but let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving to take the chill off.  If desired, the top of the pie may be further garnished with thin strips of orange and lemon zest.  For best results, cut into slices with a sharp serrated knife.  Enjoy!

(adapted from a recipe in Carolyn Beth Weil's "Williams-Sonoma Collection: Pie & Tart" cookbook [2003])