Florida Pie

{This week's delectable dessert was chosen by Dianne of Dianne's Dishes.}



If you have been a reader here for awhile, you know that I love lime and coconut--together or apart. And of course, I adore key lime anything.



I loved the idea of this recipe--a graham cracker crust with a layer of coconut cream topped with tangy key lime pie filling. What I didn't love is the meringue, which is very traditional on key lime pies. I opted for lightly sweetened whipped cream and toasted coconut. (I like meringue, don't get me wrong--I don't want to lose my kitchen cred. I just don't like it the next day on pie.)

Before I forget to mention it, I also added some coconut to the graham cracker crust. And that, my friends, was as Martha says, a "very good thing."



Because we have been on dessert overload, I could not bring myself to make the whole pie. I will someday soon, you can bet. As my husband said, "This is the best Key Lime Pie I have ever tasted."

I'm including the full recipe.  I halved the recipe and it made 2 small pies.  I used 4: ceramin creme brulee/gratin dishes.  A few notes I made appear in green.

Florida Pie
Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

Ingredients:

For Graham Cracker-Coconut Crust:

9 full-size graham cracker sheets (4 1/2 sheets)
3 Tbsp. sugar (1 Tbsp.)
4 Tbsp. sweetened coconut (2 Tbsp.)
6 Tbsp. butter, melted (3 Tbsp.)

For filling and topping:
1 1/3 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups shredded sweetened coconut
4 large eggs, separated (I only used the yolks because I didn't do a meringue topping)
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk plus 1/3 cup (optional)
1/2 cup fresh Key (or regular) lime juice (from about 5 regular limes)
1/4 cup of sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup shredded coconut
Instructions:

For crust:
Place graham cracker sheets, coconut, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until fine crumbs form. (Alternately, place crackers in a large Ziploc bag and crush with a rolling pin.)
Pour the crumbs in to a small mixing bowl. Add the sugar and melted butter. Toss together with a fork until all the crumbs are moist.

Press crumbs into a 9"pie plate, or several small tart pans. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10-15 minutes for larger pans, and about 6 minutes for smaller pans. Cool completely before using.

For filling and topping:
Getting Ready: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Put the pie plate on a baking sheet lined with parchment of a silicone mat.

Put the cream and 1 cup of the coconut in a small saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium-low heat, stirring almost constantly. (I used the full amount of coconut and pulsed the coconut in my food processor to chop it up a bit, plus I added 1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk.) Continue to cook and stir until the cream is reduced by half and the mixture is slightly thickened. (This will happen quickly if you use the s.c. milk.) Scrape the coconut cream into a bowl and set it aside while you prepare the lime filling.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl beat the egg yolks at high speed until thick and pale. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in the condensed milk. Still on low, add half of the lime juice. When it is incorporated, add the reaming juice, again mixing until it is blended. Spread the coconut cream in the bottom of the graham cracker crust, and pour the lime filling over.

Bake the pie for 12 minutes. Transfer the pie to a cooling rack and cool for 15 minutes, then freeze the pie for at least 1 hour. (I didn't bother freezing the pies because I knew I wouldn't be using the meringue.)

To Finish the Pie with Meringue:

(Didn't do this part!)

Put the 4 egg whites and the sugar in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan and heat over medium-low heat, whisking all the while, until the whites are hot to the touch. Transfer the whites to a stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, or use a hand mixer in a large bowl, and beat the whites at high speed until they reach room temperature and hold firm peaks. Using a rubber spatula, fold the remaining 1/2 cup coconut into the meringue.

Spread the meringue over the top of the pie, and run the pie under the broiler until the top of the meringue is golden brown. (Or, if you've got a blowtorch, you can use it to brown the meringue.) Return the pie to the freezer for another 30 minutes or for up to 3 hours before serving.

I whipped the cream to soft peaks and added the sugar. Then I beat until the cream formed peaks stiff enough for spreading. I spread the cream on the chilled pies and topped with coconut I had toasted in the oven.





(I am so in love with this little pie...)


Related Posts:
Key Lime Juice: Real or Bottled?
Creamy Key Lime Pie
Key Lime Tart
Frozen Coconut Key Lime Tart
Key Lime Pie Ice Cream


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