Creamy Lemon Pie

I recently had this lovely lemon dessert at a church activity.  It was served in individual plastic cups, each garnished with half a strawberry and some blueberries.  It was a wonderful cool and tangy summer dessert.  I particularly love the strawberry/lemon combination.

When my friend sent me the recipe I was happy to find out how easy this is to make.  Next time I make this I plan to make the crust in the food processor, give it a quick rinse/dry and then whip up the filling in it as well.  This dessert packs quite a flavorful punch with minimal effort--perfect for hot summer days.

Creamy Lemon Pie
Note: This can also be made in individual cups or dishes.  In this case the graham cracker crust can just be pressed into the individual dishes and refrigerated (without baking).
Ingredients:
For the crust:
9 whole graham crackers
5 tablespoons butter, melted
3 tablespoons sugar

For the filling:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice
14 oz. sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Fresh berries for garnish (optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a food processor or blender crush the graham crackers until finely ground.  Mix in the sugar and butter.  Press mixture into the bottom and up sides of a pie plate.  Bake for 8-10 minutes, until mixture appears dry and is beginning to brown.  Cool completely.

2. In a blender, food processor, or with a mixer combine the cream cheese, lemon juice, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla.  Mix until smooth.  Spread in cooled graham cracker crust.  Chill until set.  Garnish with fresh berries as desired.

Source: crust slightly adapted from melskitchencafe.com, filling from my friend, Julie