Frozen Key Lime Pie

This really isn’t a recipe for Key Lime Pie. Have you ever seen key limes? They are the size of a large marble. It would be easier to milk a cat than extract ¾ cup of lime juice from key limes. But would you really be interested in a recipe called Frozen Lime Pie? I didn’t think so.

Adapted from Ina Garten’s Barefoot Contessa, Family Style

Frozen Key Lime Pie

Crust:
1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs, crushed from 10 graham crackers (which is really an unfortunate amount since each sleeve contains exactly 9 crackers)
¼ cup sugar
6 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:
6 extra-large egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2 tablespoons grated lime zest
¾ cup freshly squeezed lime juice (from 4 or 5 limes)

Preheat oven to 350°.

Crust:
Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter in a bowl. Press into the bottom and sides of a 11 inch tart pan. Place pan on a baking sheet and bake for 8 or 9 minutes. Cool completely on a cooling rack.

Filling:
Beat the yolks and sugar on high speed with an electric or stand mixer until thick, about 3 or 4 minutes. Add the condensed milk, lime zest, and lime juice. Pour into the baked shell and freeze until very firm, preferably 24 to 48 hours before serving. Drizzle with a small amount of raspberry sauce, if desired. Serves about 10.

Notes on the recipe:
Ina Garten makes her pie in a regular 9-inch pie pan, but we really prefer the tart pan because it gives a more pleasant crust-to-filling ratio in each bite. Once at a family reunion we cheated and bought a pre-made graham cracker crust. I won’t ever do that again.

Ina also tops her pie with a huge amount of sweetened whipped cream. We prefer a simple raspberry sauce made with only defrosted raspberries, sugar, and a little fresh lemon juice. I am not exactly sure of the proportions, but if I took the time to create a recipe it might read like this: Defrost one bag of frozen raspberries, place in a blender or food processor and add about 1/3 cup sugar. Blend until smooth. Add more sugar to taste and a little squeeze of fresh lemon juice to brighten the flavor.

The downside to this pie is that it is absolutely not portable. It must be frozen solid and eaten as soon as possible after removing from the freezer, otherwise you will serve key lime smoothies and they are NOT GOOD. I speak from experience here. If you need a key lime dessert that travels, please see the recipe for key lime bars on this site.

A Little Chocolate Cake

“The little black dress is considered essential to a complete wardrobe by many women and fashion observers, who believe it a "rule of fashion" that every woman should own a simple, elegant black dress that can be dressed up or down depending on the occasion: for example, worn with a jacket and pumps for daytime business wear or with more ornate jewelry and accessories for evening. Because it is meant to be a staple of the wardrobe for a number of years, the style of the little black dress ideally should be as simple as possible: a short black dress that is too clearly part of a trend would not qualify because it would soon appear dated.” (Wikipedia)

A little chocolate cake is the baker’s equivalent of the little black dress. It is a rule of baking that every cook should possess a simple, elegant chocolate cake recipe that can be dressed up or down depending on the occasion: for example decorated with toasted chopped pecans for taking to work, or with more ornate raspberries and a dusting of powdered sugar for an evening dinner party. Because it is meant to be a staple of the bakers repertoire, the little chocolate cake ideally should be as simple as possible: a fussy complicated cake with unusual ingredients that requires hours in the kitchen would never get made.

Here is my recipe for A Little Chocolate Cake adapted from a recipe given to me by my mother-in-law 25 years ago. It has made an appearance at Scott’s birthday every year since. We prefer our chocolate cake dressed down with nothing but the frosting to accentuate the moistness.

A Little Chocolate Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 16 ½ x 12 baking sheet.

In a microwave safe bowl heat the following until melted:
1 cup water
½ cup butter
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate

Sift together then add to melted chocolate mixture:
2 cups all-purpose flour (9 ounces)
2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt

Stir until smooth then beat in:
2 eggs
½ cup sour cream

Pour into prepared baking sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, being careful to not over bake. Immediately pour frosting over warm cake and allow to set before eating.

Frosting:

In a microwave safe bowl heat the following until butter and chocolate are melted:
½ cup butter
6 tablespoons milk
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate

Stir in 3 to 4 cups powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth.

Key Lime Bars

I'll let the picture speak for itself.....



Key Lime Bars (adapted from Cooks' Illustrated)

Crust

10 ounces animal crackers (please don't gasp - animal crackers make a much sturdier crust than graham crackers)
6 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling

4 ounces of cream cheese at room temperature
2 tablespoons grated lime zest, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 (14-ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk
2 egg yolks
1 cup fresh lime juice (you will totally regret your decision if you cheat and use bottled juice)

Optional Garnish
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut, toasted until golden

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a 9 x 13 pan with foil, leaving some overhang to use as handles when lifting the cooked bars from the pan. Spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.

Crust: Pulse the animal crackers in a food processor until finely ground. Add brown sugar and salt, pulsing again to combine. Drizzle the melted butter over the crumbs and process one more time just until butter is combined. Firmly press the crumbs into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake about 18 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and place on cooling rack. Allow crust to cool while preparing the filling.

Filling: Process cream cheese, zest, and salt in a food processor until thoroughly combined and very smooth. If you don't have a food processor use either a stand or hand mixer. Or, if you are patient, just stir by hand. Add sweetened condensed milk and process until smooth. Add egg yolks and process again until smooth. Add lime juice and process one last time.

Pour filling into prepared crust and bake (still at 325 degrees) for about 20 minutes or until the sides of the filling just start to pull away from the sides of the pan. Remove from oven, place on a cooling rack, and allow to cool for an hour or two. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours.

Lift bars from the pan by using the foil overhang. (This is best achieved with two lifters). Place on a flat surface and cut into 32 squares, more or less, depending on your mood. Sprinkle with toasted coconut and serve. Leftovers will keep about two days, although they start getting a little soggy after the first day.