Key Lime Pie with Flaky Pie Crust

Key Lime Pie
Key Lime Pie

 

Key Lime Pie with Flaky Pie Crust

We had arranged to take our daughter and her husband to our local green grocers, my new favorite place.  I took a quick inventory of what vegetables I have left from our last trip there.  A bag of Key Limes caught my eye and I knew I had to do something  now to get them used up.  Gee! I thought what to do with key limes.  Perhaps a pie?  Of course.

The traditional recipe calls for a graham cracker crumb crust, Graham crackers were invented in 1829. The sweetened condensed milk was developed in , I believe, 1856.  Although many attribute the invention of the pie to William Curry’s cook Aunt Sally in the late 1800’s.  It is more likely a recipe developed by the sponge fisherman in the keys, since the original recipe did not need to be baked, as the reaction of the milk and lime caused the pie to thicken.  It probably didn’t have a crust either.

My version is a throw together making do with what I had on hand.  I keep pie crusts in the freezer ready for any occasion.  The recipe I use came from Julia Child’s cook book “Baking with Julia” and is an award winning, sure to please, crust.  It is a little hard to work with but well worth it.

Ingredients for key lime pie crust

This recipe makes enough dough for 4 pie crusts.  This recipe is designed for the food processor.  You can do it by hand or in a mixer with a paddle (see  the “Baking with Julia” cook book for directions}.

  1. 5 1/4 cups of flour (all-purpose or pastry)
  2. 1 Tbs Kosher Salt
  3. 1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter cut into small pieces
  4. 1 3/4 cups ( 11 ounces) solid vegetable shortening chilled
  5. 1 cup ice water

Directions for making dough

Use very cold ingredients and do not overwork them.  Use the metal blade in the food processor.  I put flour and salt into a large bowl and whisk to combine.  I then put about a cup of flour into the processor and then layer some of the butter and shortening on top, then cover with flour and layer in more butter and shortening and continue this process until all ingredients are in the processor.  Pulse a few times until the fats are cut in and the mixture resembles moist cornmeal.  Add a little bit of the liquid and pulse a few times more. Than add a little more liquid and pulse a few more times , continue this process until the mixture has curds and lumps and sticks together when pressed between your fingers.  Do not process until a ball forms.

Turn the dough out and form into a ball and divide into 4 equal parts.  Take any quarters not being used right away and wrap and bag tightly and freeze.  Any pieces to be used right away wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least two hours or up to 5 days.

Recipe for Key Lime Pie

Take the pie dough and roll out so that it is large enough to fit into a 9 inch pie plate.  Place it in the pie plate line the dough with wax paper and add pie weights or beans and blind bake at 350° for about 10 minutes.  Take out of oven and cool on wire rack.

Ingredients for Key Lime Pie Filling

  1. 4 large eggs separated
  2. 1/2 cup fresh squeezed key lime juice ( 12- 24 limes)
  3. zest from 2 limes about 2 tsp
  4. 1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
  5. 6 Tbs sugar
  6. 1/2 tsp corn starch\

Procedure

Preheat oven to 350°

Place the 4 egg yolks in the bowl of the mixer and mix with whip until they are lightened. Add the milk and slowly whip until completely combined.  add 1/2 the lime juice and whip till combined.  Add remaining juice and zest and combine completely.

In another bowl take the 4 egg whites and whisk till soft peaks began to form.  Turn mixer to high and slowly add the sugar and corn starch and whisk until stiff peaks are formed.

Pour the key lime mixture into the pie shell and cover with the meringue spooning it so there are peaks all around the pie.  Place in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes and the meringue has browned lightly at the edges.

Remove from oven, place on wire rack to cool.  Once cooled place in refrigerator to chill.

Key Lime Pie
Key Lime Pie

 

Here are a few items that might make this recipe easier
Pyrex Easy Grab 9-1/2-Inch Pie Plate
Cuisinart DLC-10S Pro Classic 7-Cup Food Processor, White
Egg Yolky 96035 Egg Separator

 

 

 

Key Lime Pie with Flaky Pie Crust
Serves 6
Write a review
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Prep Time
2 hr
Cook Time
20 min
Total Time
2 hr 20 min
Prep Time
2 hr
Cook Time
20 min
Total Time
2 hr 20 min
Ingredients
  1. Ingredients for key lime pie crust
  2. This recipe makes enough dough for 4 pie crusts. This recipe is designed for the food processor. You can do it by hand or in a mixer with a paddle (see the "Baking with Julia" cook book for directions}.
  3. 5 1/4 cups of flour (all-purpose or pastry)
  4. 1 Tbs Kosher Salt
  5. 1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter cut into small pieces
  6. 1 3/4 cups ( 11 ounces) solid vegetable shortening chilled
  7. 1 cup ice water
  8. Ingredients for Key Lime Pie Filling
  9. 4 large eggs separated
  10. 1/2 cup freah squeezed key lime juice ( 12- 24 limes)
  11. zest from 2 limes about 2 tsp
  12. 1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
  13. 6 Tbs sugar
  14. 1/2 tsp corn starch\
Instructions
  1. Directions for making dough
  2. Use very cold ingredients and do not overwork them. Use the metal blade in the food processor. I put flour and salt into a large bowl and whisk to combine. I then put about a cup of flour into the processor and then layer some of the butter and shortening on top, then cover with flour and layer in more butter and shortening and continue this process until all ingredients are in the processor. Pulse a few times until the fats are cut in and the mixture resembles moist cornmeal. Add a little bit of the liquid and pulse a few times more. Than add a little more liquid and pulse a few more times , continue this process until the mixture has curds and lumps and sticks together when pressed between your fingers. Do not process until a ball forms.
  3. Turn the dough out and form into a ball and divide into 4 equal parts. Take any quarters not being used right away and wrap and bag tightly and freeze. Any pieces to be used right away wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least two hours or up to 5 day
  4. Preheat oven to 350°
  5. Place the 4 egg yolks in the bowl of the mixer and mix with whip until they are lightened. Add the milk and slowly whip until completely combined. add 1/2 the lime juice and whip till combined. Add remaining juice and zest and combine completely.
  6. In another bowl take the 4 egg whites and whisk till soft peaks began to form. Turn mixer to high and slowly add the sugar and corn starch and whisk until stiff peaks are formed.
  7. Pour the key lime mixture into the pie shell and cover with the meringue spooning it so there are peaks all around the pie. Place in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes and the meringue has browned lightly at the edges.
  8. Remove from oven, place on wire rack to cool. Once cooled place in refrigerator to chill.
Adapted from Baking with Julia
Adapted from Baking with Julia
Rants Raves and Recipes https://www.rantsravesandrecipes.com/

 

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Pear Flaugnarde Recipe (Flaugnarde Aux Poires)

Pear Flaugnarde
Pear Flaugnarde

Pear Flaugnarde

A great rustic desert, it takes a little bit of work but it is certainly worth it!  Served warm with a dusting of powdered sugar it’s a real treat.

Ingredients for Pear Flaugnarde

  1. 2 bosc pears unripe
  2. 1/3 cup sugar
  3. 6-8 tbs butter
  4. 3 eggs
  5. 3/4 cup flour
  6. 1 cup 1/2 & 1/2
  7. 2 tsp vanilla
  8. 9 inch buttered pie dish

Pear Flaugnarde Directions

Preheat oven to 400°

Peel the pears, then cut in half length wise and core the halves.  Place them in a non corrosive or enamel or glass pan (cooking in a metal pan will discolor the pears) cut side down and sprinkle the sugar over the top and dot with the butter.Bake in the oven for about 40 minutes.

While pears are baking take the eggs, flour, milk and vanilla place in a bowl and whisk until smooth.  Place in the refrigerator to rest.

Butter a 9 inch pie pan,  When the pears come out of the oven place them in the buttered pie pan with the tops pointing to the center.

Turn oven down to 375°

Pour any of the liquids from the pear pan into the batter and whisk quickly to incorporate.  Pour the batter around the pears until you have just a small amount of the tops showing,  place in the oven and bake for about 45 minutes until top is golden brown.  Remove from oven let cool slightly and dust with powdered sugar.

 

Here are a few things to help with this recipe
J.A. Henckels Twin Four Star 3-Inch High Carbon Stainless-Steel Paring Knife
Stansport 8 3/4 Inch Enamel Fry Pan, Royal Blue
Emile Henry 9-Inch Pie Dish, Cerise Red

 

 

If you enjoy our site and are thinking of purchasing anything from Amazon, please use the link to Amazon from our site.  It doesn’t cost you anything and we profit from the ads and purchases .  

 Please help us keep our blog going by letting your friends know we’re here and by checking out the links on our front page.

 Copyright © rantsravesandrecipes 2013 all rights reserved

Blueberry Shortbread Crumble

Blueberry Shortbread Crumble

 

 Blueberry Shortbread Crumble

A trip this week to our local produce market ( always a high point of the week)  Left us with a plethora of ideas for dishes this week.  The one thing that caught my eye as we came in were not only gorgeous strawberries, but fantastic blueberries.  I’ve been working on some shortbread recipes lately and the Blueberry Shortbread Crumble evolved as I looked through the store for more goodies.

The shortbread recipe I used for this will make either two pans or one pan and a bunch of different shapes of shortbread (which is what I did).

Equipment and special items for Blueberry Shortbread Crumble:

  1.  1 9X9 inch cake pan
  2. large bowl for crumble mix
  3. mixer (a we prefer KitchenAid 6 qt).
  4. 2 pints fresh Blueberries

Recipe for Crumble:

  1. 1/2 cup butter melted
  2. 1/3 cup sugar
  3. 1/3 cup brown sugar
  4. 1 3/4 cups flour
  5. 1 tsp cinnamon
  6. Pinch of salt
  7. Powdered sugar for topping (optional)

Melt butter in small saucepan or in microwave (if using microwave let it cool slighty before continuing with the recipe).  Put the sugars and flour into a large bowl and whisk lightly to incorporate.  Pour in the melted butter and stir with a fork gently until all is mixed and large chunks are formed.  Do not stir too hard and break up the crumbs you want to end with many large pieces in the mix.  Set bowl aside, please note that this recipe will supply enough Crumble for two recipes.

Recipe for Shortbread:

 

  1. 2 cups of butter ( 4 sticks or 1 lb.) softened
  2. 1 cup granulated sugar
  3. 3 cups flour
  4. 1 cup rice flour ( if you do not have rice flour just use another cup of regular flour).
  5. 1 egg yolk
  6. 2 tsps vanilla (optional)

In the bowl of the mixer place the sugar and the butter and cream. Slowly add the flours until a dough is formed.  Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead into a ball, flatten slightly and cut in half.  If only making one pan or making biscuits with the second half, wrap that half in plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Directions for Blueberry Shortbread Crumble

Preheat oven to 375º

 Taking half the recipe of shortbread, roll out to approximately a 9 X 9 inch square which will be about a 1/2 inch thick.  Take the square of dough and place into  the 9 X 9 cake pan and press firmly into pan  making sure it presses to all sides.  You can, if you want, line the pan with parchment to make pulling it out of the pan easy, just be careful not to crack the shortbread as you remove it.  

Place a layer of blueberries over the shortbread.

 

blueberries on top of shortbread
blueberries on top of shortbread

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now place a layer of the crumble on top of the shortbread and blueberries. press down very lightly.  Place in the center of the oven and bake for 1 hour.  Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely.  Once cooled cut into 9 squares and enjoy.  Great as a breakfast treat, or as a anytime snack or microwave a short time to warm and serve with vanilla ice cream.

Blueberry Shortbread Crumble
Blueberry Shortbread Crumble

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are few things to make your baking easier:
KitchenAid KP26M1PSL Professional 600 Series 6-Quart Stand Mixer, Silver
Cuisinart AMB-9SCK 9-Inch Chef’s Classic Nonstick Bakeware Square Cake Pan, Silver

 

If you enjoy our site and are thinking of purchasing anything from Amazon, please use the link to Amazon from our site.  It doesn’t cost you anything and we profit from the ads and purchases .  

Please help us keep our blog going by letting your friends know we’re here and by checking out the links on our front page.

 

 copyright © rantsravesandrecipes 2013 all rights reserved

 

Blueberry Shortbread Crumble
Yields 9
A delicious treat for breakfast or as a dessert
Write a review
Print
Prep Time
30 min
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 30 min
Prep Time
30 min
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 30 min
Recipe for Crumble
  1. 1/2 cup butter melted
  2. 1/3 cup sugar
  3. 1/3 cup brown sugar
  4. 1 3/4 cups flour
  5. 1 tsp cinnamon
Recipe for Shortbread
  1. Preheat Oven to 375°
  2. 1 cup of sugar
  3. 2 cups of butter ( 4 sticks or 1 lb.) softened
  4. 3 cups flour
  5. 1 cup rice flour ( if you do not have rice flour just use another cup of regular flour).
  6. 1 egg yolk
Instructions
  1. Directions for the Crumble
  2. Melt butter in small saucepan or in microwave (if using microwave let it cool slighty before continuing with the recipe). Put the sugars and flour into a large bowl and whisk lightly to incorporate. Pour in the melted butter and stir with a fork gently until all is mixed and large chunks are formed. Do not stir too hard and break up the crumbs you want to end with many large pieces in the mix. Set bowl aside, please note that this recipe will supply enough Crumble for two recipes.
  3. Directions for the Shortbread
  4. In the bowl of the mixer place the sugar and the butter and cream. Slowly add the flours until a dough is formed. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead into a ball, flatten slightly and cut in half. If only making one pan or making biscuits with the second half, wrap that half in plastic wrap and refrigerate.
Assembly and Cooking Directions
  1. Taking half the recipe of shortbread, roll out to approximately a 9 X 9 inch square which will be about a 1/2 inch thick. Take the square of dough and place into the 9 X 9 cake pan and press firmly into pan making sure it presses to all sides. You can, if you want, line the pan with parchment to make pulling it out of the pan easy, just be careful not to crack the shortbread as you remove it.
  2. Place a layer of blueberries over the shortbread.
  3. Now place a layer of the crumble on top of the shortbread and blueberries. press down very lightly. Place in the center of the oven and bake for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled cut into 9 squares and enjoy. Great as a breakfast treat, or as a anytime snack or microwave a short time to warm and serve with vanilla ice cream.
Rants Raves and Recipes https://www.rantsravesandrecipes.com/