Real Recipes From Real Home Cooks ®

lemon crunch dessert

(2 ratings)
Blue Ribbon Recipe by
Goldie Barnhart
Palmyra, NY

Spring is coming and what's prettier than a yellow dessert that is scrumptious! Fresh and tangy and so lemony. This one will surprise you! Great for any holiday or summer event.

Blue Ribbon Recipe

This dessert is so light and airy, it's going to be real hard not to eat the whole pie at once. It's sweet, tangy, and bursting with lemon flavor. The gingersnap cookie crust and the ginger/almond topping add a nice crunch to the pie. It will be a favorite at your next party.

— The Test Kitchen @kitchencrew
(2 ratings)
yield 10 serving(s)
prep time 1 Hr 45 Min
method Stove Top

Ingredients For lemon crunch dessert

  • CRUST
  • 45
    small gingersnap cookies, about 2 cups
  • 5 Tbsp
    butter or margarine at room temperature
  • LEMON MOUSSE
  • 2 pkg
    lemon gelatin, 3 oz. each
  • 1 1/2 c
    boiling water
  • 1 pt
    lemon sherbet, slightly softened
  • 1
    container low-fat lemon yogurt, 8 oz.
  • 2 c
    thawed frozen whipped topping
  • 1 pt
    fresh strawberries, hulled and rinsed cut into 1/4 in. slices
  • TOPPING
  • 3 Tbsp
    sliced almonds
  • 2 tsp
    granulated sugar
  • 1/4 c
    reserved crumb mixture
  • FOR GARNISH
  • 10
    whole strawberries and lemon slices

How To Make lemon crunch dessert

  • 1
    Have a 9 1/2 or 10-inch pie plate ready.
  • Gingersnaps crushed in a food processor.
    2
    Crust: Crush cookies in food processor until you have fine crumbs. Add softened butter until moist. Then save a 1/4 cup of the crumb mixture for topping.
  • Gingersnaps formed into a pie crust in clear pie plate.
    3
    Press remaining crumb mixture in bottom and up the sides. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or until crust is firm.
  • Gelatin dissolving in a bowl.
    4
    Meanwhile, make the mousse. In a large bowl, dissolve gelatin in boiling water.
  • Lemon sherbet mixed in with dissolved gelatin.
    5
    Stir in lemon sherbet until melted, then yogurt until blended. Refrigerate 15 minutes, stirring once or twice, or until mixture starts to set up and thick enough to hold its shape when dropped from a spoon. Gently stir in whipped topping until well blended.
  • Mousse mixture poured into gingersnap crust with strawberries on top.
    6
    Spread slightly less than half the mixture over the crust. Top with sliced strawberries.
  • More mousse poured on top of strawberries to chill.
    7
    Then add remaining mousse mixture, mounding slightly in center. Refrigerate up to 2 days at this point.
  • Gingersnap and nut topping in a pan.
    8
    Topping: Mix the reserved 1/4 cup crumb mixture, the almonds, and sugar in a small (preferably non-stick) pan. Stir constantly over med-low heat 2 to 3 minutes (watch carefully it may burn). Cool completely.
  • Lemon crunch dessert with gingersnap and nuts sprinkled on top.
    9
    Before serving sprinkle on top of pie and garnish with fanned strawberries and lemon slices.
  • 10
    NOTE: I made this for Easter and decided to use a springform pan. It turned out great! It should be easier to cut this way than in a pie plate.
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