This year for Easter I wanted to make something fresh and light for dessert. I landed on a Lemon Chiffon Pie designed to look like a beehive. Here you will find detailed description to make this pie

Supplies

1 box chocolate-covered raisins
white chocolate melting wafers
Yellow food coloring
1/4cup blanch slivered almonds
2 9" pie crust
1/4 cup cold water
1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) unflavored powdered gelatin
1 cup clover honey, divided
1 cup fresh lemon juice, strained, divided
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
4 large egg yolks
2 cups heavy cream, divided
1/4 and 5 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Bubble wrap, to set
Lemon wheels, to garnish, optional
Beans for weight on pie

Step 1: Pie Crust Step 1

Unroll one of your pie crusts. Roll out flat as the edges do curl up a bit
Place you pie crust in a 9" pie plate
Gently form the crust to the pie plate
Cut away the excess on the edges
Use a fork to prick the pie crust to allows the steam to escape so the pie crust doesn't puff up in the oven.

Step 2: Pie Crust Step 2

Roll out the second pie crust and roll flat
use a ruler and make a 1/8 inch notch on the dough with a knife
Repeat till you have three long strands of pie crust
Pinch the ends together on one side and spread out the 3 strands
begin to braid them
once braided take a fork and prick the crust around the edge of the crust
take a small amount of water and rub it over the pricks you just made
take you braid and affix it to the edge of the pie
repeat till you have braid all around the edge

Step 3: Blind Bake Pie Crust

Turn you oven to 400 degrees
Take a piece of parchment paper and cut it into a circle that overlaps the edges of your pie crust
Next grab your beans or you can use pie weights if you have them
Place them in your pie and place it in the oven
Bake for 7 minutes then take out and remove the beans and parchment paper.
Place the pie back in the oven to bake for another 7 minutes till bottom is cooked and the edges are light brown

Step 4: Pie Filling Part 1

Pour 1/4cup cold water into a saucepan and sprinkle all over with gelatin.
Let the mixture sit until the gelatin absorbs all of the water, about 5 minutes.
Whisk in 3/4cup of the honey,
Whisk in 3/4 cup lemon juice,
Whisk 1 Tablespoon lemon zest
Whisk in the remaining 4 egg yolks
Before you put the mixture on heat create an ice bath in a bowl that can hold your pan you are using
Set that aside (I find it easier to place the ice bath in the sink)
put the saucepan over medium heat and cook for about 6-8 minutes, stirring constantly, until the mixture has thickened slightly.
Don't let the mixture come to a full boil. It will continue to thicken much, much more as it cools.
Immediately transfer the saucepan to the ice bath to let cool until the lemon mixture is cold to the touch.
Whisk occasionally to make sure the mixture is cooling evenly.

Step 5: Pie Filling Part 2

Place 1-1/2 cups of the cream into a bowl or you stand mixer
Sift in 1/4 cup of the confectioner's sugar
You are going to do this till soft peaks form
Mix in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and beat again until stiff peaks form
Take the mixture out of the ice bath and slowly put a small amount in your stiff peaks
Fold the mixture in, do not stir or you will deflate the stiff peaks you have made
Keep doing this till all the mixtures are combined

Step 6: Assembling Pie

Fill your pie with the lemon mixture
Get your bubble wrap and measure out a section the same size as the pie plate
Cut around the edges of the bubble wrap so you have circle
Place your pie in the freezer for at least 4 hours but I leave it in over night

Step 7: Bee Decorations

Take a pan and lay down some parchment paper
Place a few chocolate covered raisins on the parchment paper
Take you white candy melts and place a few in a microwave safe bowl or a mini fondue pot I bough at Walmart
If you are doing this in the microwave do so in 30 second intervals and mixing in between those 30 seconds
If you have a fondue pot just wait till the mixture is melted
add a drop of food coloring. Remember you can always add more food coloring but you can't take it away
Once you have your desired yellow take either a fork or tooth pick and create yellow lines across the chocolate covered raisins till you get the yellow lines on a bee
Take your almond slivers and dip one end in the candy melts then affix them on the side of the chocolate covered raisins to complete your bee

Step 8: Lemon Honey Glaze

After your pie has been in the freezer for 4 hours or overnight
slowly remove the bubble wrap from the pie
Set the pie aside and combine 1/4 remaining lemon juice and 1/4 remaining honey
Place in a microwave safe bowl and heat for 30 seconds
Let the mixture cool and brush over your pie filling

Step 9: Final Decorations

In a large bowl, whisk the remaining 3/4 cup cream and 5 Tablespoons confectioner's sugar
Once stiff peaks form you can start decoration
You can do this to your liking but I placed three dollops of the whipped cream on the pie
Take a lemon and cut two slices off it
Remove any seeds and cut from the center out with a knife
Separate the lemon wheel and place on the pie
Start to position your bees on your pie in any formation