Key Lime Pie

It’s been a beautiful sunny weekend here in my part of the U.K. so I thought a sunny dessert would be in keeping. I decided to make a Key Lime Pie, which originated in the Florida Keys, America. I vaguely remember learning that condensed milk was used in this pie, because at times it was difficult to buy fresh milk/cream due to the isolation before the railroad. What a great invention Key Lime Pie is and some pies can be found with a meringue topping too. A great invention from our friends across the water!

I adore the sweet and tangy flavour of this pie and it’s a very huge hit with my family members. It’s not dissimilar to a cheesecake in texture some Key Lime Pies are unbaked while others are baked for a very short time.

Key Lime Pie

I thought I would try to source out a recipe and found one by Momma Cherry – “Charita Jones” U.K.T.V.Food. Momma Cherry originates from the U.S.A. who runs her own business selling “Soul in a Bowl” in Brighton, England, after hitting the lime light from a television programme by Gordon Ramsay.

I have altered Momma Cherri’s recipe a little with my own tinkering but you can find her original recipe here [link]

A slice of Key Lime Pie

Key Lime Pie

Ingredients
For The Pie Crust
200g (8 oz) digestive biscuits
100g (4 oz) melted butter
1 tsp ground ginger
For The Filling
397g can of condensed milk - I used nestle
3 large egg yolks
5 limes, grated zest of 3 and juice of 5
1 lemon, juice only
To Serve
Ice cream or crème fraiche
Thin slices of lime and a little lime zest

You will need a 20cm (8 in) loose-based cake tin

Method

Preheat oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/400°F/Gas mark 6.

For the piecrust, either place all the digestive biscuits in a plastic bag and with a rolling pin crush them until they resemble breadcrumbs or place into a food processor and whiz with the metal blade until they are like breadcrumbs. Place the biscuit crumbs into a mixing bowl and add the melted butter and ground ginger, stirring to combine together.


Place into the 20cm (8 in) loose-based cake tin and with your hand or a wooden spoon press sown well to make an even crumb base.

In a food mixer lightly whisk the condensed milk with the egg yolks until slightly thickened. Add the lime zest and lime and lemon juice and whisk them through to combine.

Pour the mixture on top of the biscuit crumb base in the cake tin.

Bake the pie for 6 – 10 minutes in the preheated oven. It should not brown at all and feeling a little firm to a gentle touch.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool before chilling in fridge.

Turn out onto a plate and serve with thin slices of lime and or lime zest, and ice cream or crème fraiche.

Portuguese Custard Tarts

Portuguese Custard Tarts

Showing the texture of the custard

I really enjoy watching food programmes on television to utter dismay of my family at times! I find food programmes can be an inspiration to try something different or even a base for creating ideas to try out. Anyway I digress, Bill Granger’s programme is airing on BBC 1 on a Saturday morning here in the U.K. at present. Bill came up with a recipe for Portuguese Custard Tarts, which took my attention like a rabbit caught in headlights *giggle*. I knew I had to try these little beauties out having never eaten one before! All that is need to make them is, some butter puff pastry with a simple filling of egg yolks, caster sugar, cornflour, double cream, milk and a little vanilla extract, which makes 12 sized muffin tarts. I used a pastry ring cutter to cut my pastry out as I found this to be the exact size for my muffin tin holes but authentically you just roll the pastry and lay each round in the muffin tin holes. The only adaptation I made to this recipe was, to sprinkle icing sugar over the custard filling five minutes before the end of baking time to enhance a golden colour of the custard.

I can now tell you that these little innocent looking custards are dangerously more-ish so be warned if you happen also to bake up a batch! The pastry has a beautiful crisp texture and the custard is of a sweet smooth lushness. I know these little beauties will be making an appearance many more times in my household.

If you would like to make some of Bill Granger’s Portuguese Custard Tarts here is the [link] for them.