Few and far between
So, my culinary escapades have been fewer and fewer, namely due to the fact that I am in new surroundings and haven't finished getting my kitchen in working order yet. It's hard to get inspired to cook up a great meal when you're short on counter space and you have peeling wallpaper strips everywhere you look.
My meals lately have consisted of tried-and-true, family-heirloomed and back-of-the-box specialties. (This also in part to the fact that all of my cookbooks are still packed up.)
Nevertheless, I got the worst case of spring fever this week with temperatures hovering in the 70s, and I pulled out THE recipe, the old standby for spring weather: Key Lime Pie. This pie will make your tastebuds think it's summer already. I highly suggest you put down what you're doing right now and go buy the ingredients for it....RIGHT NOW. You can thank me (and Gayle Ortiz from "The Village Baker") later.
THE VILLAGE BAKER'S KEY LIME PIE
Graham Cracker Crust:
1/2 c. unsalted butter
1-1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs
Filling:
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 c. Key lime juice
1/2 t. pure vanilla extract
Topping:
1 c. heavy whipping cream
1 T. sugar
1 t. vanilla
To make crust, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter and cool slightly. In medium bowl, combine the melted and graham cracker crumbs. The mixture will be a little crumbly. With your fingers, press the crust into 9" pie plate. Bake on center rack in oven for 5 minutes. Set on rack to cool.
To make filling, beat cream cheese till smooth. Slowly add condensed milk in steady stream, beating till well incorporated and scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Add the lime juice and vanilla, again mixing well and scraping sides of bowl.
Pour filling into shell, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 5 hours.
Just before serving, whip the cream with the sugar and vanilla till stiff peaks form. Decorate the pie using a pastry bag to pipe swirls or rosettes on top or spreading whipping cream over filling with spatula. Let the pie sit at room temperature 30 minutes before serving so the crust will be easier to cut. This pie can be stored in refrigerator for up to 3 days.
My meals lately have consisted of tried-and-true, family-heirloomed and back-of-the-box specialties. (This also in part to the fact that all of my cookbooks are still packed up.)
Nevertheless, I got the worst case of spring fever this week with temperatures hovering in the 70s, and I pulled out THE recipe, the old standby for spring weather: Key Lime Pie. This pie will make your tastebuds think it's summer already. I highly suggest you put down what you're doing right now and go buy the ingredients for it....RIGHT NOW. You can thank me (and Gayle Ortiz from "The Village Baker") later.
THE VILLAGE BAKER'S KEY LIME PIE
Graham Cracker Crust:
1/2 c. unsalted butter
1-1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs
Filling:
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 c. Key lime juice
1/2 t. pure vanilla extract
Topping:
1 c. heavy whipping cream
1 T. sugar
1 t. vanilla
To make crust, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter and cool slightly. In medium bowl, combine the melted and graham cracker crumbs. The mixture will be a little crumbly. With your fingers, press the crust into 9" pie plate. Bake on center rack in oven for 5 minutes. Set on rack to cool.
To make filling, beat cream cheese till smooth. Slowly add condensed milk in steady stream, beating till well incorporated and scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Add the lime juice and vanilla, again mixing well and scraping sides of bowl.
Pour filling into shell, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 5 hours.
Just before serving, whip the cream with the sugar and vanilla till stiff peaks form. Decorate the pie using a pastry bag to pipe swirls or rosettes on top or spreading whipping cream over filling with spatula. Let the pie sit at room temperature 30 minutes before serving so the crust will be easier to cut. This pie can be stored in refrigerator for up to 3 days.
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