Creamy Orange Dreamsicle Pie with Almond Shortbread Cookie Crust

 

I’m dedicating this post, to the one I love! I honestly don’t even know where I’d be right now without him.

Alone, scared, and very sad, that’s for sure. He truly is my knight in shining armor that rescued me from total despair. Sadly, not an exaggeration.

You see, I have a lot of very bad medical problems, and I thought that after my divorce, and my ex calling me a “burden”, who would ever want me? I felt like I was shattered into a million pieces that could never possibly be put back together again. Ever.

Then along came Tom. He forever changed my entire life. I have never felt more loved, appreciated and just plain safe in my whole life. He takes care of me, and I him. Every single day. Every single night. Every single moment.

We are quite a matched set because, you see, he too has medical problems. So we rely on and take care of each other. I guess sometimes you have to actually be going through it to understand it and be kind, understanding, and sympathetic towards someone who isn’t healthy and can’t do things like most people can. 

I’ve met many who are kind, but so many just are not. I feel blessed and so very lucky to have found someone who is. My true soulmate. Some people sadly never find someone at all. Or worse, end up with the wrong person completely and are stuck in a situation that they see no end to.

I know what that’s like and feel so sorry for those who are miserable and unhappy. 

After having a very rough time almost my whole life, I can’t even tell you, Tom, how thankful I am to finally have found happiness all because of you. You are my world. I keep living and my heart keeps beating because of you. 

So Happy, Happy Birthday love of my life!!  We have celebrated 10 wonderful years of marriage now. Let’s have a lifetime more! I love you more than life itself, and when the time comes, with my very last breath, my last dying words will be to you.

“I love you”. 

 

 

Always remember, “It doesn’t matter if the glass is half empty or half full…be thankful you have a glass and that there’s something in it”. ~Unknown.

 

 

 

CREAMY ORANGE DREAMSICLE PIE with ALMOND SHORTBREAD COOKIE CRUST

6-8 servings / Makes 1 – 9″ pie

 

For Cookie Crust:

1 sleeve Girl Scout Shortbread cookies, finely crushed, (or 1 1/2 cups fine crumbs)

1/2 cup slivered almonds, finely ground

2 1/2 Tbl. melted butter

 

For Pie Filling:

1 (3 oz.) pkg. orange Jell-O

1 cup boiling water

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, room temp.

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup orange juice, without pulp

1 tsp. lemon juice, concentrate is just fine

1 cup heavy whipping cream

 

Rest of Ingredients:

sweetened whipped cream, Extra Creamy Reddi Wip or Original Cool Whip

candy orange slices for garnish, optional

 

DIRECTIONS:

For Crust:

Place cookies and almonds in food processor. Process until fine crumbs. While running, stream in melted butter. Press evenly into bottom and up sides of a 9″ pie dish. Bake in 350 degree oven for 8 minutes. Cool on rack completely.

For Pie:

Dissolve Jell-O in boiling water, set aside. 

In mixer bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until creamy, scraping bowl and beater in-between as needed. Beat in orange juice and lemon juice. Slowly beat in cooled Jell-O scraping bowl and beater in-between additions until creamy. Transfer to a medium-sized bowl scraping all with a spatula. Place in fridge for 20-25 minutes until almost set. 

Rinse out and wash mixer bowl and paddle and dry. Switch to wire whisk attachment. Add heavy cream and start on low, then medium and switch to high as not to splatter. Whisk until thick and stiff. About 1 1/2 – 2 minutes. 

Fold orange mixture into whipped cream well, then beat with a paddle for a few turns until combined and creamy. Spoon and pile into cooled, baked pie shell. 

Serve topped with whipped cream of any kind and garnish with a candy orange slice.