Makes: One 9-inch pie, enough for about 12 servings
Time: About 45 minutes, plus time to chill
I love a pie that requires little hands-on effort. The filling is entirely no-cook—just blend together, pour into the prebaked cookie crumb crust, and pop into the freezer or fridge. It’s especially refreshing in summer; the grapefruit provides a pleasant tartness that’s altogether different from lemon or lime. You can mix up your citrus by blending lemon, orange, and grapefruit together or try one of the variations that follow.
1. Use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add the sweetened condensed milk, grapefruit zest, and juice and mix until combined. Fold in the salt and confectioners’ sugar.
2. Spread the filling evenly into the cooled piecrust and freeze until solid, at least 3 hours. Let the pie sit for 10 minutes at room temperature before serving.
LIME-PISTACHIO ICEBOX PIE Pistachios make a lavish yet delicate crust that’s an awesome and unusual complement to the tart lime filling: Substitute lime zest for the grapefruit zest and ⅓ cup lime juice for the grapefruit juice. Swap in a Nut Tart Crust made with shelled pistachios for the Oatmeal-Coconut Cookie Crust.
ORANGE-ALMOND ICEBOX PIE More complex: Replace the grapefruit zest and juice with orange zest and juice. Add ½ teaspoon almond extract to the filling. Use a Nut Tart Crust made with almonds instead of the Oatmeal-Coconut Cookie Crust.
LEMON-VANILLA ICEBOX PIE Sweeter, and more like a creamsicle: Substitute lemon zest and juice for the grapefruit zest and juice. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to the filling. Use a Cookie Crumb Crust made with vanilla wafers.
BLOOD ORANGE–CHOCOLATE ICEBOX PIE A pie that brings the drama: Substitute blood orange zest and juice for the grapefruit zest and juice. Substitute a Cookie Crumb Crust made with chocolate wafer cookies for the Oatmeal Coconut Cookie Crust.
COCONUT-COCONUT ICEBOX PIE If you’re feeling especially tropical: Substitute full-fat coconut milk for the grapefruit juice and lime zest for the grapefruit zest. Top the pie with ¼ cup toasted shredded unsweetened coconut (see page 57).
MINT-CHOCOLATE ICEBOX PIE An entirely different direction: Omit the grapefruit juice and zest. Add 2 teaspoons peppermint extract and 4 ounces melted dark chocolate to the filling. Substitute a Cookie Crumb Crust made with chocolate-covered mint cookies for the Oatmeal-Coconut Cookie Crust.