Recipe Round-Up: Lemonade Ice Box Pie

I have an announcement!

Drumroll please.

I have decided that I am going to attempt to post a recipe every week!

I am incredibly excited about this new, little venture! I enjoy cooking and I adore baking so why not share my creativity with all four of you? We all could use a little slice of goodness every once in a while...or once a day, whichever.

Now some of these recipes have been passed down through generations of both sides of my family, some have been borrowed and shared from cherished friends, and others have been stolen outright from accomplished cooks, unsuspecting strangers and various culinary websites.

Either way, I am here to share them with you pending any copyright lawsuits.

This week's recipe can be found in a million places and probably each one of you has made a variation of this before. However, I recently stumbled upon the Lemonade Ice Box Pie and I am completely changed, transformed by the lemony goodness that perfectly compliments Mexican dinners, bowls of chili or just by itself for breakfast on a hot July (or March) morning.

My wonderful, amazing friends have invited me to dinner so this is what I am taking for dessert! It is so darn easy but it tastes like you squeezed the lemons by hand and churned the ice cream for hours.

Hmmm...maybe I can tell them that.

Regardless, all you need are FOUR ingredients, people.  Four.

I went with the "light" whipped topping to cut back a bit...you can't tell the difference. I also like the sugar free ice cream because I always have some left over and it is probably best to have that in my freezer instead of the premium good stuff. They didn't have the low-fat pie crust so I splurged a little.  And then the lemonade concentrate can be any old brand. 

Moral of story: get whatever you want for this recipe.

How can something so dairy-like be so non-dairy?

Throw the entire tub into the bowl. Make sure it is defrosted...cuts down on lumps.

I want to take a moment to admire the greatest invention next to the Kitchenaid Mixer: the spoonula. It was on my Christmas list this year and thanks to my fabulous kid sister, I am the proud owner of a red one. I love it. I love it a lot.

Next, pour 2/3 of the lemonade conentrate into the bowl of cool whip and mix together.

It's starting to get good, people.

Ah, deliciousness. Wait for it to melt...

And plop about half the container in the bowl.

Now, mix the tar out of it...

...until it looks like this. Next, get a spoon and taste it. Does it need more ice cream? More lemonade? You be the judge. But really, you can't go wrong.

Now, grab your shell. You could make this by hand but why would you?

And pour the lemony goodness into the shell. Heaven help me, that stuff is so good.

And there she is, in all her glory.

Stick that puppy into the freezer for 2-3 hours until firm. Then cut into it and eat with wild abandon.

Now, carefully and ever so gently, stick your head in the bowl.

 

So enjoy, my friends! Here is the official recipe for all you sticklers:

Lemonade Ice Box Pie:

1 can of lemonade concentrate

1 8 oz. tub of whipped topping

2 cups of vanilla ice cream (or more)

1 prepared graham cracker crust.

Mix 2/3 can of lemonade concentrate, the entire tub of cool whip and at least two cups of ice cream to a bowl and mix. Taste and adjust measurements accordingly. Pour into prepared graham cracker crust, cover and put in freezer for 2-3 hours.

Pucker up, buttercup. It's lemon time!