Grandma Holmes's Lemon Cheesecake

On a a hot summer day, this cool and lemony dessert is a tasty treat. I found this recipe among MDS's Grandma Holmes's recipes. The recipe card has notes and changes, so I think that she made this recipe and enjoyed it. The recipe card seems to call for making two pies, but as Grandma Holmes's notes indicate, I found that the recipe make one good-sized pie.

This no-bake cheesecake is perfect for summer when you don't want to turn on the oven. The notes say to bake the unfilled crust for five minutes, but I think it is better to refrigerate the crust to get it to set. Because this cheesecake needs to set overnight in the refrigerator, it is a great make-ahead dessert. The cheesecake had a subtle and not overwhelming lemon flavor. Because the recipe used jello and sweetened condensed milk, it had more of a gelatinous texture instead of a cake-like texture that baked cheesecakes can have. Nevertheless, it is a perfect summer dessert.

Grandma Holmes's Lemon Cheesecake 

• Graham Cracker crust
• 1 8 oz. package cream cheese
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla
• 1 package lemon jello
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk

Line a pie pan with the graham cracker crust. Put the crust in the refrigerator to cool while preparing the filling. Dissolve the jello in 1 cup hot water; allow to cool until shaky, but not set. In a bowl, blend cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Whip the condensed milk until soft peaks form. Blend in the cream cheese and jello until well blended. Pour filling into the pie crust. Refrigerate at least six hours. Enjoy!