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
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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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Easter Bunny Bread

 

Easter Bunny Bread
Easter Bunny Bread

Easter Bunny Bread

Gold Medal Flour and Fleischmann’s Yeast had this recipe for Easter Bunny Bread in a Sunday Paper coupon insert many, many years ago.  I don’t know if it has been republished since  , this has been an Easter favorite of ours for a long time.  It’s fairly easy to make and you end up with a very nice tasting bread with a nice thin crust, that looks great on the Easter dinner table.

Ingredients for Easter Bunny Bread

  1. 5+ cups of flour (Gold Medal all purpose)
  2. 2 pkg Fleischmann’s Rapidrise yeast (you can use Active dry if you want)
  3. 3 tbsp sugar
  4. 2tsp salt
  5. 1 cup water
  6. 2/3 cup milk
  7. 3tbsp butter
  8. 1 egg

Directions for Easter Bunny Bread with Rapidrise yeast

Preheat oven to 400°

Mix 3 cups of flour with the yeast,sugar,salt in bowl of mixer.  Heat the water,milk and butter to 125° to 130°.  When at temperature mix into the flour yeast mixture add the egg and stir in enough extra flour to make the dough easy to handle.  Using dough hook (or by hand) knead the dough for 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic.  Cover and let rest 10 minutes. (If using active yeast dissolve in warm water 110°-115° in the bowl then add the other items and once dough is formed let rest for 30 minutes, after that all directions are the same for both yeasts).

Lightly grease two sheet pans and divide the dough into 4 equal parts

4 = parts
4 = parts

For each bunny divide 1 part in half and shape one half into a flattened round for the body.

form half into round for body
form half into round for body

Place a walnut sized piece of the remaining half in a ball for a tail; make a deep indentation into the body press the ball in and flatten and turn over onto the sheet pan

walnut sized piece
walnut sized piece
make indentation
make indentation

 

Form remaining dough into a ball and divide in half; taking one half and forming it into a flattened round for the head.and place it next to the body

take remaining dough and divide in half
take remaining dough and divide in half

. Take the remaining dough and form into a ball and divide into quarters and form feet and ears making deep indentations and pressing the feet into the body  and placing the ears next to the head.

take remaining dough and divide into quarters
take remaining dough and divide into quarters

 

Make three indentations on the head and place a raisin in each for eyes and nose, (I take a small amount of egg wash and brush the connections of the head and body and the ears and head and the indentation for the feet and eyes to help them adhere).

form ears, feet and eyes
form ears, feet and eyes

.Cover and let rise for 15 – 30 minutes.  Bake for 18 -20 minutes until light brown.  Decorate as desired.

Easter Bunny Bread
Easter Bunny Bread

 

 

Easter Bunny Bread
Easter Bunny Bread

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are a few ideas that might might this recipe easier:
Silpat for Bread, 11.6 x 16.5-inches
Silpat Roul’Pat Non-Stick Silicone Countertop Work Station with Non-Slip Grip, 16.5-Inch by 24.5-Inch

 

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 .

 

 

Copyright © rantsravesandrecipes 2013 all rights reserved

 

 

Easter Bunny Bread
Write a review
Print
Ingredients
  1. 5+ cups of flour (Gold Medal all purpose)
  2. 2 pkg Fleischmann's Rapidrise yeast (you can use Active dry if you want)
  3. 3 tbsp sugar
  4. 2tsp salt
  5. 1 cup water
  6. 2/3 cup milk
  7. 3tbsp butter
  8. 1 egg
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400°
  2. Mix 3 cups of flour with the yeast,sugar,salt in bowl of mixer. Heat the water,milk and butter to 125° to 130°. When at temperature mix into the flour yeast mixture add the egg and stir in enough extra flour to make the dough easy to handle. Using dough hook (or by hand) knead the dough for 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Cover and let rest 10 minutes. (If using active yeast dissolve in warm water 110°-115° in the bowl then add the other items and once dough is formed let rest for 30 minutes, after that all directions are the same for both yeasts).
  3. Lightly grease two sheet pans and divide the dough into 4 equal parts
  4. For each bunny divide 1 part in half and shape one half into a flattened round for the body.
  5. Place a walnut sized piece of the remaining half in a ball for a tail; make a deep indentation into the body press the ball in and flatten and turn over onto the sheet pan
  6. Form remaining dough into a ball and divide in half; taking one half and forming it into a flattened round for the head.and place it next to the body
  7. Take the remaining dough and form into a ball and divide into quarters and form feet and ears making deep indentations and pressing the feet into the body and placing the ears next to the head.
  8. Make three indentations on the head and place a raisin in each for eyes and nose, (I take a small amount of egg wash and brush the connections of the head and body and the ears and head and the indentation for the feet and eyes to help them adhere).
  9. .Cover and let rise for 15 - 30 minutes. Bake for 18 -20 minutes until light brown. Decorate as desired.
Rants Raves and Recipes https://www.rantsravesandrecipes.com/

Ratatouille Casserole

ratatouille

 

Ratatouille Casserole

My exuberance of buying vegetables often results in the necessity to come up with instant menus to keep from allowing some of my purchases from ending up on the garbage heap.

Ratatouille Casserole is  one of those recipes.  My beautiful little zucchini were about to go south so I needed to use them.  I have always loved ratatouille, the name , saying it, eating it (if it’s done right), the greasy slop you find in some restaurants is rather unappetizing.  This eliminates some of the problems and makes a great main course.

Ingredients for Ratatouille Casserole

  1. 5 or 6 small zucchini ends trimmed not peeled
  2. 5 or 6 baby eggplant ends trimmed not peeled
  3. flour for dusting
  4. 1 red pepper
  5. 1 large red onion or 1 small red onion and 1 shallot
  6. 4 or 5 cloves of garlic
  7. 1 large tomato
  8. cooking oil for frying
  9. olive oil for sauteing
  10. salt & pepper
  11. 4 to 5 oz fresh mozzarella (thinly sliced)
  12. cooked rice
  13. sour cream

Slice the zucchini in about 1/4 inch thick slices long ways. Slice the eggplant into 1/4 inch rounds.  Dust the slices lightly with flour and fry in oil until lightly golden brown.  set onto a paper towel to drain.

Thinly slice the pepper and begin to saute in the olive oil.  Thin slice the onion and garlic and add to peppers.  When they begin to soften cube the tomato and add, cook until tomatoes begin to give up their juices.

In a 9 X 9 inch pan place a layer of zucchini, put a layer of eggplant on top of that.  Place a few slices of the mozzarella on top of that and cover with half of the onion pepper tomato mixture.  Repeat the process.

layers of zucchini eggplant and mozzarella
layers of zucchini eggplant and mozzarella
cover with tomato mixture
cover with tomato mixture
ratatouille casserole
ratatouille casserole

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 400° for about 30 minutes.  Remove the foil and bake for about 10 minutes more.  While it’s baking make the rice.  Serve with a dollop of sour cream.

 

 Here are few ideas to make baking this easier:

Le Creuset Stoneware 1-1/2-Quart 9-Inch Square Baking Dish, Cherry
Zwilling J.A. Henckels Twin Four Star Series 7-Inch Santoku Knife with Hollow Edge
Butcher Block Cutting Board – Edge Grain – Walnut, Cherry, & Rock Maple

 

 

 

 

 

Ratatouille Casserole

Ratatouille Casserole

Ingredients

  1. 5 or 6 small zucchini ends trimmed not peeled
  2. 5 or 6 baby eggplant ends trimmed not peeled
  3. flour for dusting
  4. 1 red pepper
  5. 1 large red onion or 1 small red onion and 1 shallot
  6. 4 or 5 cloves of garlic
  7. 1 large tomato
  8. cooking oil for frying
  9. olive oil for sauteing
  10. salt & pepper
  11. 4 to 5 oz fresh mozzarella (thinly sliced)
  12. cooked rice
  13. sour cream

Instructions

  1. Slice the zucchini in about 1/4 inch thick slices long ways. Slice the eggplant into 1/4 inch rounds. Dust the slices lightly with flour and fry in oil until lightly golden brown. set onto a paper towel to drain.
  2. Thinly slice the pepper and begin to saute in the olive oil. Thin slice the onion and garlic and add to peppers. When they begin to soften cube the tomato and add, cook until tomatoes begin to give up their juices.
  3. In a 9 X 9 inch pan place a layer of zucchini, put a layer of eggplant on top of that. Place a few slices of the mozzarella on top of that and cover with half of the onion pepper tomato mixture. Repeat the process.
  4. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 400° for about 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for about 10 minutes more. While it's baking make the rice. Serve with a dollop of sour cream.
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https://www.rantsravesandrecipes.com/ratatouille-casserole-3/

 

  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 2014 all rights reserved