Heirloom Key Lime Pie

Several years ago I treated a young man from Key West, Florida who was dying of AIDS. A couple of weeks before he died, he gave me his 75 year old family recipe for Key Lime Pie. He explained that most Key Lime Pie recipes use condensed milk. Even restaurants in Key West serve Key Lime Pie made with condensed milk. Jessie was disdainful of this version. His family recipe, passed from generation to generation, does not used condensed milk. Jessie claimed it is the only authentic Key Lime Pie recipe. So in memory of Jessie, I offer it to you. (Recipe from a Hospice Nurse).

5 eggs, separated

3/4 C. sugar

1/3 C. Key lime juice

1 T. butter

1/4 C. sugar (for meringue)

1 (9-inch) baked pie shell, graham cracker crust, or Macademia nut crust

Separate eggs into three bowls - 5 yolks in one bowl, 2 egg whites in another, and 3 egg whites in the third. This is the most important step in the whole operation!!!

Cream egg yolks, add 3/4 cup sugar and key lime juice and mix thoroughly. Cook over low heat until very, very thick, add butter and remove from heat. Let cool slightly.

Meanwhile beat 2 egg whites until stiff, then fold into cooled lime mixture. Fill pie shell.

Beat the other 3 whites until stiff. Beat in 1/4 cup sugar. Pile meringue on top of lime filling and bake at 325°F for 15 minutes.

Macadamia Coconut Crust

1 1/2 c all purpose flour

3/4 c butter

2/3 c macadamia nuts

2/3 c toasted coconut flakes

1 tsp sugar

3 Tbsp coconut milk or coconut flavored almond milk, optional if needed

If your macadamia nuts are whole, put them into a food processor and pulse till they are in small chunks.  Set aside.

Place flour, butter, 1 teaspoon of sugar into a food processor and mix well. Stir in coconut and macadamia nuts. (Do not mix them with the food processor. It will break them up too much.) Add coconut milk or coconut flavored almond milk, if needed.

Place ball of dough on floured surface and flatten.

Bake crust at 425º for 8 minutes. Allow to cool completely before filling.

NOTE: The Macadamia crust is very tender, and difficult to remove from the pie pan. May need to spray with PAM first.

Coconut Cream Pie

 Another keeper from my cyber friend.

1/4 c. cornstarch

2/3 c. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1 (15-oz) can evaporated milk

Water

3 eggs, separated

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. coconut flavoring, optional

3/4 c. coconut

1 (9-inch) pie shell, baked

6 T. sugar

1/4 c. coconut

Combine the cornstarch, 2/3 cup sugar, and salt in a saucepan. Pour the milk into a measuring cup and add enough water to make 3 cups; gradually add to the cornstarch mixture, stirring until smooth. Cook over medium-low to medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens. Do not have the heat too high or the mixture will scorch. Beat the 3 egg yolks. Stir a little hot mixture into the egg yolks; blend well. Gradually stir all of the egg yolk mixture into the cooked custard; blend well. Cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly until the custard thickens to pudding consistency. Stir in the vanilla, optional coconut flavoring, and 3/4 cup coconut. Pour into a mixing bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Cool. 

Marshmallow Cream Meringue

3 egg whites

1 (7-oz.) jar marshmallow cream

Dash of salt

Beat the egg whites and a dash of salt until soft peaks form. Gradually add the marshmallow cream, beating until stiff peaks form. Spread over the filling, bringing to the outer edge of the pie shell. Bake at 350 degrees 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool.

Caramel-Pecan Cheesecake Pie

A stand-out recipe from National Pie Day Party 2013.   

    1 pie pastry* (I used the recipe below)

    1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

    1/2 cup sugar

    4 eggs

    1 teaspoon vanilla extract

    1-1/4 cups chopped pecans

    1 jar (12-1/4 ounces) fat-free caramel ice cream topping**

In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, 1 egg and vanilla until smooth. Spread into pastry shell; sprinkle with pecans.

In a small bowl, whisk remaining eggs; gradually whisk in caramel topping until blended. Pour slowly over pecans.

Bake at 375° for 35-40 minutes or until lightly browned (loosely cover edges with foil after 20 minutes if pie browns too quickly).

  

Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight before slicing.

**Can use this recipe instead (I did)

[size=3]Caramel In A Can (Dulce de leche)[/size]

 1.You will need one un-opened can of sweetened condensed milk with the paper taken off.

 2. Place the unopened can in a crock-pot. Completely submerge the unopened can in water.

 3. Cook on the crock-pot's 'low' setting for 8 - 10 hours (lid on).  (I did two cans, as this was the first time I tried this technique. I felt 8 hours wasn't long enough, even though I started out with hot water in the crockpot. So I re-processed the second can for several hours more. The second can is the one I used in the pie.)

 4.Cool down the unopened can in the fridge for at least 2 hours. Cooling the can is the key. I cooled mine at room temp and left it there for several days, unopened. It was just fine.

Buttery Crunch Crust

*I chose this crust recipe, rather than a plain crust as the recipe suggested. It was a very good decision.

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

In a medium bowl, mix together pecans, sugar, and flour. Stir in melted butter or margarine.

Reserve 1/2 of the mixture for topping the pie, and then press the rest evenly into a 9 inch pie pan. Bake in preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes, until golden brown. Allow crust to cool before filling.

Peanut Butter Pie Oh My

Tastes like a frozen Buster Bar. This recipe makes two pies. . . one for now and one for later. You’ll be glad you have it. Recipe is from my cyber friend, Star.

2  Graham Cracker crusts, recipe follows

8  oz  cream cheese, softened to room temp

3  (8 oz)  containers  Cool Whip, thawed

12  oz  smooth peanut butter

2  cups  powdered sugar

2  Tbs  vanilla

Good quality hot fudge sauce

Magic Shell chocolate topping

Peanuts, roughly chopped for topping

Make sure cream cheese is soft and room temp, otherwise it beads up. Cream together cream cheese and 2 containers of Cool Whip with mixer on slow speed, increasing to medium. Add Peanut Butter, powdered sugar and vanilla. Continue beating on medium speed until creamy. 

Spread some hot fudge sauce on the bottom of the baked and cooled graham cracker crusts. Spoon filling into pie crusts. Top with one half container of Cool Whip on each pie, smoothing it out to ends of pie. Cover and freeze for 3 to 4 hours. 

After the pie has frozen, put a slice on the plate and lay a few salted peanuts on top and use Magic Shell Chocolate topping and drizzle it across each slice of pie, letting it slide down the side of the slice just a little. It will harden in just a minute. Allow to sit on counter top for 15 minutes or so before serving to soften some.

Graham Cracker Crust

This is the only graham crust I use. It's so good and holds up very well with any filling. Doesn't get soggy or fall apart, even when used with a liquid filling.

1-1/3  cup  graham crumbs

1/2  cup  melted margarine or butter

1/2  cup  oats

1/4  cup  brown sugar

1  tsp  vanilla

1/8  tsp  salt

Mix all ingredients together and press into pie plate.

Bake at 350° for 7 minutes. Let cool.

Cherry Pie

Pastry for 9-inch double crust pie

4  Tbs  quick-cooking tapioca

1/8  tsp  salt

1-1/4  cup  white sugar

4  cups  pitted cherries (3 cans)

1/4  tsp  almond extract

1/2  tsp  vanilla extract

1-1/2  Tbs  butter

Preheat oven to 400°. Place bottom crust in pie pan. Set top crust aside, covered.

In a large mixing bowl combine tapioca, salt, sugar, cherries and extracts. Let stand 15 minutes. Turn out into bottom crust and dot with butter. Cover with top crust, flute edges and cut vents in top. Place pie on a foil lined cookie sheet --- in case of drips!

Bake for 50 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown.

Fresh Peach (or Strawberry) Pie

This pie features fresh, uncooked peaches, using peach Jell-O as the thickener. You can change the fruit and Jell-O flavor as you desire. Fresh strawberries using strawberry Jell-O, for example.

Crust:
1/2  cup  butter or margarine
1  cup  flour
2  Tbs  (heaping)  powdered sugar

Spray pie pan with PAM. Combine the ingredients and pat into the pan, pressing down to make sure to adheres together. Prick with a fork. Bake @325 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Cool.

Filling:
1-3/4  cups  cold water
3/4  cup  sugar
3  Tbs  cornstarch
3  Tbs  peach (or strawberry) Jell-O
Fresh sliced peaches or strawberries

Combine sugar and cornstarch. Dissolve in water, and then bring it to a boil. Remove from heat; add
Jell-O. Stir to dissolve completely. Cool.

Pour cooled filling into pie shell. Add fresh sliced fruit of your choice above. Serve with Cool Whip.

Ice Cream Pie

People rave about this elegant dessert. It must be completed at the very last minute, while your guests are enjoying each others company around the table.

1  pie shell, baked and cooled
Vanilla Ice Cream
Hot Fudge Sauce, room temp
(see my recipe for Ice Cream Balls with Hot Fudge Sauce, for the recipe for this, or use your own)

Meringue:
3  egg whites, room temp
1/4  tsp  cream of tartar
1/2  cup sugar

Scoop out ice cream into balls earlier in the day, and re-freeze to get as hard as possible.

Preheat oven to 475 degrees, when you sit down for dinner.

When ready to serve, make the meringue. Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff peaks are formed. Beat in sugar.

Place the frozen ice cream balls in the pie shell. Top with room temp fudge sauce. Spread meringue over top, making absolutely sure that you seal the edges to the crust. Brown quickly in the hot oven for 2-3 minutes. Slice and serve immediately.

Peach Cream Pie

Crust:
1-1/2  cups  flour
1/2  tsp  salt
1/2  cup  butter

Filling:
4  cups  fresh sliced peaches
1  cup  sugar, divided
2  Tbs  flour
1  egg
1/2  tsp  vanilla
1/2  tsp  salt
1  cup  (8 oz)  sour cream

Topping:
1/3  cup  sugar
1/3  cup  flour
Pinch of cinnamon
1/4  cup  butter

Combine flour and salt; cut in butter until crumbly. Press into 9" pie pan.

Place peaches in bowl. Sprinkle 1/2 cup sugar over them. Combine 2 Tbs flour, egg, vanilla, salt, and remaining sugar. Fold in sour cream. Stir gently into peaches. Pour this into pie shell. Bake @400 for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees, and continue to bake for another 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, for the topping, combine sugar, flour, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over baked pie. Return the oven temperature to 400 degrees. Bake for another 15 min.

Coconut Caramel Cream Pie

This is actually an ice cream pie, so be sure to serve it just after removing from freezer. Recipe is from my cyberspace friend, Star, and it's totally awesome.


1  baked pie crust; cooled completely
2  Tbs  butter
1  cup  flaked, sweetened coconut
1/4  cup  chopped pecans 
(don't be tempted to use more, this amount of coconut and pecans is perfect)
1-1/2  cups (12 oz) heavy whipping cream (do not use Cool Whip)
4  oz  cream cheese (softened)
1/2  cup  sweetened condensed milk
1/4  cup  confectioner's sugar
1  tsp  vanilla
1/2  cup  caramel ice cream topping (divided)

Chill glass mixing bowl and beaters for at least 30 minutes, (optional).

Melt butter in 10-inch skillet over medium heat; add coconut and pecans. Sauté together until golden brown, stirring frequently. Set aside to cool.

Whip cream until stiff peaks form in a 2-quart mixing bowl; set aside.

Beat softened cream cheese, condensed milk, confectioner's sugar and vanilla, until smooth. Fold into whipped cream.

Spread half of the whipped cream, cream cheese mixture in pie crust.

Drizzle on half of the caramel ice cream topping in thin swirls.

Sprinkle half of the pecan-coconut mixture over topping. Repeat layers. Freeze until firm for several hours. Let pie stand 5 minutes at room temperature before serving, but serve frozen.