Thanks to my new lieutenants in Hilo for their assist in tracking down today’s recipe, the Lemon Cheese Pie from the long-gone Paramount Grill.
This story began in March when Leonore Higa sent in an appeal for the "ultra-delicious" pie with a nutty crumb topping. "As a college student, I worked at the Palace Theater across the street from the Paramount Grill," Higa wrote. "It was my biggest thrill to be able to go there when I worked on Saturdays to have a lunch made up of a hearty slice of Lemon Cheese Pie."
Her request was printed here, but I didn’t expect anything to come of it. Oh, me of little hope.
Eight months later comes a letter from Florence Ide with a hand-written recipe for the pie, proving, I suppose, that good things come to those who wait. Or that hope does indeed spring eternal.
Mrs. Ide deputized her husband, Albert, who was a faithful customer of the Paramount and now has coffee every day at a Hilo McDonald’s, where he sometimes runs into a Mrs. Higuchi, who used to work at the Paramount. Mr. Ide got Mrs. Higuchi to write down the recipe and gave it to Mrs. Ide, who gave it to me. I hope you followed all that.
Long story short, we have a pie!
This recipe reworks the original based on my two test runs. I never had the actual Paramount pie, so I must count on Higa to tell me how close this matches her memories.
Paramount Grill Lemon Cheese Pie
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
3-1/4 cups milk, divided
1 box (4-serving size) vanilla pudding mix (cook-and-serve version, not instant)
1 box (4-serving size) lemon pudding mix (cook-and-serve; see note)
1 heaping teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon flour
1 large egg
9-inch deep-dish baked pie crust
» Crumb topping:
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup margarine or vegetable shortening
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1/3 cup shredded coconut
Combine cream cheese, sugar and 1/4 cup milk in bowl; beat until fluffy. Add a little more milk if mixture is too stiff.
Combine pudding mixes, cornstarch, flour and remaining 3 cups milk in medium pot; stir to combine. Beat egg and add to pot. Over medium heat, bring mixture to boil, whisking constantly to keep pudding from clumping and egg from scrambling. When mixture is thick, about 5 minutes, remove from heat.
Let cool slightly, then fold in cream cheese mixture. Pour into pie crust (If you have some left over; pour into custard cup to make a crust-free single serving).
To make topping: Combine ingredients by hand until mixture is crumbly. Spread on cookie sheet and toast a few minutes in 350-degree oven, stirring occasionally.
Sprinkle topping over pie. Chill well. Pie might be too soft to slice until it has set overnight.
Nutritional information unavailable.
Note: The cook-and-serve version of vanilla pudding is easy to find in stores, but lemon might be harder. If you can only find instant lemon pudding, mix it separately with 1 cup cold milk. Cook the vanilla pudding with 2 cups milk. Fold cream cheese mixture into lemon pudding, then add the cooked vanilla pudding.
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Write Betty Shimabukuro at “By Request,” Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, Honolulu 96813. Email bshimabukuro@staradvertiser.com.
