1/2 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
2 tablespoons white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup white sugar
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1 1/4 cups chopped crabmeat
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease and flour 2 9-inch pie pans.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter, vanilla, egg, sugar, salt, lemon zest and cream cheese until smooth. Beat in the whipping cream, then beat in crab. Stir in the crab mixture by hand.
Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and bake an additional 30 minutes, or until just crust is golden. Brush top of pie with egg wash and top with lemon and crab topping. Cool completely.
In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth, then whip cream until stiff peaks form. Beat in the lemon zest and lime zest. Fold into crab mixture. Spread cream cheese mixture over crab pie.
In a small bowl, mix whipping cream and lemon zest until stiff. Whip cream and lemon zest in remaining time until a stiff, stiff consistency is achieved. Transfer cream cheese mixture to pie crust. Spread over crab pie. Garnish with whipped cream and lemon zest. Chill in refrigerator.