"Lemonade Pie" by Senator Chuck Grassley
A four-ingredient recipe after last week’s stellar three-ingredient grape dish? Yes, we’re keeping it simple, because sometimes, that’s what you need. This dish is so simple that it only involves the mixing of three key ingredients, a quick pour, and then time in the fridge. So yes, if you were a fan of Diabetic Cucumber Salad but thought it took too long to make, this sugary backyard treat is for you.
Chef Chuck Grassley
Republican Senator from Iowa
Notable:
as of September 2024, being the oldest serving U.S. senator; incredible tweets
Quotable:
“I was doing morning run at farm. Deer killed by car in ditch. He was dead. I didn't have to ’assume’ anything about his condition.”
As always, I followed the recipe, no alterations:
INGREDIENTS
6oz frozen lemonade, thawed
14oz condensed milk
4oz of Cool Whip
1 9” graham cracker crust
INSTRUCTIONS
1) Mix thawed lemonade and milk.
Okay, so, very technically, this is the first time I MAY not have followed the recipe, as I could only find frozen Pink Lemonade in a can, not regular (coronavirus problems). The great news is that the pink doesn’t impart any flavor! I’ve never tasted the pink and I bet you haven’t either — we’ve all only tasted the yellow, so while it’s a creative interpretation, it’s not a huge leap.
2) Fold into Cool Whip.
3) Place in graham cracker crust. Chill. If desired, top with cherry or blueberry pie filling.
And just like that, after 16-24 hours in the fridge, you’ve got yourself a lemonade pie!
Now, I decided not to use cherry or blueberry pie filling for a topping — Chef Grassley made it optional for a reason, and I’m exercising my constitutional right to avoid accoutrements. I wanted to taste the pie on its own.
And boy did I taste it. Packed with sugar from the sweetened condensed milk, Cool Whip and Lemonade, this creamy, sweet treat kept me up all night and it will do the same for you. Like I mentioned, you can’t taste any pink; you’ll mostly revel in the sugars. The spike from the saccharine dairy/lemonade mixture is tempered by the cracker crust, which gives a much needed crunch, plus a little more sugar. The visible clots of whip and frozen drink melt away as each bite hits your tongue, coating your teeth with sugar. I’d recommend a small slice — 1/6th or 1/7th of the pie — so you don’t have too much of a good thing, with that good thing being sugar.
Verdict:
I’m not sure what I expected when I put together three immensely sugary ingredients and then just let them get cold, but I didn’t expect it make me swear off sugar for a week. It’s like at the end of the holiday season when you say “I’m done with sugar for a while” but instead of it taking 45 days to reach this point, it takes four bites. A bit much. As part of a one-bite tasting menu? Okay then!
