Lemon Chiffon Bee Pie

This year for Easter I wanted to make something fresh and light for dessert. I landed on a Lemon Chiffon Pie designed to look like a beehive. Here you will find detailed description to make this pie

• 1 box chocolate-covered raisins
• white chocolate melting wafers
• Yellow food coloring
• 1/4cup blanch slivered almonds
• 2 9" pie crust
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) unflavored powdered gelatin
• 1 cup clover honey, divided
• 1 cup fresh lemon juice, strained, divided
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
• 4 large egg yolks
• 2 cups heavy cream, divided
• 1/4 and 5 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar, divided
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Bubble wrap, to set
• Lemon wheels, to garnish, optional
• Beans for weight on pie

• Unroll one of your pie crusts. Roll out flat as the edges do curl up a bit
• Place you pie crust in a 9" pie plate
• Gently form the crust to the pie plate
• Cut away the excess on the edges
• Use a fork to prick the pie crust to allows the steam to escape so the pie crust doesn't puff up in the oven.

• Roll out the second pie crust and roll flat
• use a ruler and make a 1/8 inch notch on the dough with a knife
• Repeat till you have three long strands of pie crust
• Pinch the ends together on one side and spread out the 3 strands
• begin to braid them
• once braided take a fork and prick the crust around the edge of the crust
• take a small amount of water and rub it over the pricks you just made
• take you braid and affix it to the edge of the pie
• repeat till you have braid all around the edge

• Turn you oven to 400 degrees
• Take a piece of parchment paper and cut it into a circle that overlaps the edges of your pie crust
• Next grab your beans or you can use pie weights if you have them
• Place them in your pie and place it in the oven
• Bake for 7 minutes then take out and remove the beans and parchment paper.
• Place the pie back in the oven to bake for another 7 minutes till bottom is cooked and the edges are light brown

• Pour 1/4cup cold water into a saucepan and sprinkle all over with gelatin.
• Let the mixture sit until the gelatin absorbs all of the water, about 5 minutes.
• Whisk in 3/4cup of the honey,
• Whisk in 3/4 cup lemon juice,
• Whisk 1 Tablespoon lemon zest
• Whisk in the remaining 4 egg yolks
• Before you put the mixture on heat create an ice bath in a bowl that can hold your pan you are using
• Set that aside (I find it easier to place the ice bath in the sink)
• put the saucepan over medium heat and cook for about 6-8 minutes, stirring constantly, until the mixture has thickened slightly.
• Don't let the mixture come to a full boil. It will continue to thicken much, much more as it cools.
• Immediately transfer the saucepan to the ice bath to let cool until the lemon mixture is cold to the touch.
• Whisk occasionally to make sure the mixture is cooling evenly.

• Place 1-1/2 cups of the cream into a bowl or you stand mixer
• Sift in 1/4 cup of the confectioner's sugar
• You are going to do this till soft peaks form
• Mix in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and beat again until stiff peaks form
• Take the mixture out of the ice bath and slowly put a small amount in your stiff peaks
• Fold the mixture in, do not stir or you will deflate the stiff peaks you have made
• Keep doing this till all the mixtures are combined

• Fill your pie with the lemon mixture
• Get your bubble wrap and measure out a section the same size as the pie plate
• Cut around the edges of the bubble wrap so you have circle
• Place your pie in the freezer for at least 4 hours but I leave it in over night

• Take a pan and lay down some parchment paper
• Place a few chocolate covered raisins on the parchment paper
• Take you white candy melts and place a few in a microwave safe bowl or a mini fondue pot I bough at Walmart
• If you are doing this in the microwave do so in 30 second intervals and mixing in between those 30 seconds
• If you have a fondue pot just wait till the mixture is melted
• add a drop of food coloring. Remember you can always add more food coloring but you can't take it away
• Once you have your desired yellow take either a fork or tooth pick and create yellow lines across the chocolate covered raisins till you get the yellow lines on a bee
• Take your almond slivers and dip one end in the candy melts then affix them on the side of the chocolate covered raisins to complete your bee

• After your pie has been in the freezer for 4 hours or overnight
• slowly remove the bubble wrap from the pie
• Set the pie aside and combine 1/4 remaining lemon juice and 1/4 remaining honey
• Place in a microwave safe bowl and heat for 30 seconds
• Let the mixture cool and brush over your pie filling

• In a large bowl, whisk the remaining 3/4 cup cream and 5 Tablespoons confectioner's sugar
• Once stiff peaks form you can start decoration
• You can do this to your liking but I placed three dollops of the whipped cream on the pie
• Take a lemon and cut two slices off it
• Remove any seeds and cut from the center out with a knife
• Separate the lemon wheel and place on the pie
• Start to position your bees on your pie in any formation