I tried out the key lime pie recipe from Mark Bittman’s
How to Cook Everything. I was attempting to make pie for the first time, so the end product was a bit “rustic.” No question that the pie was definitely home made.
- Graham Cracker Crumbs. First, I started making the graham cracker crust. The food processor quickly reduced the graham crackers to a bowl of crumbs. However, the food processor wasn’t suited for incorporating the butter into the graham cracker crumbs. Hand mixing with a spatula worked better.
- Graham Cracker Crust. After the butter has moistened the crumbs, I had to form the crust in a pie pan. I used a pyrex pie pan instead of the traditional pie tin because that was all I had on hand. So, I had an easier time making the bottom of the crust. I used a measuring cup to compact the crumbs against the bottom of the pan and smooth out the crust. As for the sides, I had a more challenging time. Pressing the crumbs against the side was difficult because the crumbs moved out of the way.
- Key Limes. I bought a sack of key limes so that I could get an authentic experience. These limes are small. Don’t even think of using an automatic juicer because you will not be able to hold onto the limes. I ended up cutting the limes in half and squeezing by hand to extract the juices. I needed 12 key limes to get 1/3 cup of lime juice. Next time, I’ll stick with the regular limes.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk. I’m not sure if all cans of sweetened condensed milk are the same. I’ll have to look carefully the next time I am at the supermarket. Anyways, the pie tasted a bit too sweet to me. I’ll have to find a substitute next time to lighten the pie and make it less sweet.
- Food Coloring. The key lime pie filling should not be lime green. So, if you see key lime pie with lime green filling, the pastel hue comes from food coloring.
- Baking. Visually, the filling did not look set when I first checked on it. However, a quick prod with a toothpick reveal that the filling had set. Appearances can be deceiving. That’s the life of a novice pie maker.
- Meringue. Easy to make with an electric mixer. Don’t attempt with a hand whisk. I tried to smooth out the meringue, but my efforts were less than artisanal.
One response to “Key Lime Pie”
[…] Key lime pie in a clear, pyrex “pie tin.” I should really have saved the tins from all the pies that […]