AMY MARCH KEY LIME PIE

 

AMY MARCH KEY LIME PIE

 

 

 

Alright.  I'll admit it.  Right here.  In black and white.  I'm a big fan of the book Little Women, by mid-nineteenth century author Louisa May Alcott.  I've inhaled and own an original copy of the book, I've seen several of the movie versions made, own the soundtracks from the 1997 film version and the Broadway musical.  I've named a fundraising pie venture "Orchard House Pie Company, after the Concord, Massachusetts home the March (Alcott) family shared.  Despite having never visited the home, I've always felt a strong connection to the story, its characters, and message the book offers regarding the importance of family and the process in finding yourself in life.

Admittedly, one of my favorite characters in Little Women is the youngest of the four March sisters, Amy.  In a particular passage of the book, Amy March is given some small amount of pocket money in which she spends on 24 limes to treat her friends at school.  The circumstance, pardon the expression, turns sour for her, and she ends up without any of them as she is found out by her teacher and the limes are put out into the snow.  I'll not spoil the book for those who haven't read it, and I'll simply encourage you to pick it up and enjoy it at your leisure.  Instead, let is suffice to say that my hope is that you'll enjoy this pie as much as Amy March enjoyed her limes!

“AMY MARCH” KEY LIME PIE:

CRUST:

·         5 Tbs. Butter, Melted

·         1 ½ Cups Graham Cracker Crumbs

·         ½ Cup Chopped Pecans

FILLING:

·         1 14 Oz. Can Condensed Mil

·         1 Cup of Lime Juice

·         1 Tbs. Grated Lime Zest

·         2 Egg Yolks

·         1 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream

 

TOPPING:

·         1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream

·         2 Tbs. Powdered Sugar

 

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  In a mixing bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and chopped pecans.  Continue to mix until all is thoroughly coated.  Spray mixture into a baking sprayed pie plate and press to bottom and edges evenly.  Bake in oven for 7 – 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to cool thoroughly.

In a mixing bowl, combine milk, lime juice, and 1 Tbs. of lime zest.  Blend in beaten egg yolks.  Mix completely and set aside. 

In a separate bowl, take your heavy cream and whip to heavy peaks.  Begin blending your lime filling into the whipping cream a little at a time until all is combined.  Pour the filling into your crust and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

While pie sets, begin whipping your heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form.  With your whipped cream, either serve separately with your pie, spread over the top, or decorate with a pastry bag & tip.

Garnish with additional lime zest, thinly sliced pieces, or twists around the edge.



ZEIEN BANANA CREAM PIE

 

ZEIEN BANANA CREAM PIE

 

 

Special occasions call for truly special desserts!  What I love about baking pies is that the final result can, and inevitably gets shared with friends and loved ones.  This past weekend, I had the opportunity to share not only a fantastic pie, but for a fantastic occasion with two friends at their wedding.  As a special honor, I had the opportunity to share not one, but TWO of the Groom's favorite pies as a replacement of a "Groom's Cake."  I'm pleased report that I left the reception with both pie plates empty, which should say a little something about how good these pies were.



ZEIEN WEDDING BANANA CREAM PIE:

CRUST:

·         5 Tbs. Butter, Melted
·         1 ½ Cups Graham Cracker Crumbs
·         ½ Cup Chopped Pecans
 

FILLING:

·         1 Cup Sugar
·         ¼ Cup Cornstarch
·         ½ tsp. Salt
·         3 Cups 2% Milk
·         2 Eggs, Slightly Beaten
·         3 Tbs. Butter
·         1 ½ tsp. Vanilla Extract
·         6 large Bananas
·         2 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  In a mixing bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and chopped pecans.  Continue to mix until all is thoroughly coated.  Spray mixture into a baking sprayed pie plate and press to bottom and edges evenly.  Bake in oven for 7 – 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to cool thoroughly.

In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, salt and milk until smooth.  Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and slightly bubbly.  Reduce heat  and cook for and additional 2 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Stir a small amount of the hot filling into your beaten eggs, stirring quickly to prevent eggs from cooking completely.  Pour egg mixture back into sauce pan and mix.  Bring to a gentle boil, and cook for another 1-2 minutes, stirring continuously.

Remove pan from heat.  Carefully stir in butter and vanilla.  While the mixture is still hot, cover with plastic wrap over custard and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

While custard is cooling, slice 6 larges bananas and set aside.  With a mixer, begin whipping your heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form.  Set half of the mixture aside for covering the pie, the other half will be used for piping or decoration. 

**NOTE:  If you are content with simply a single top covering of cream, only use 1 Cup of Heavy Whipping Cream.

Alternating layers, fill your pie crust with custard, followed by a layer with bananas.  Repeat the process until custard mixture has been completely used, reserving some banana slices for the topping.  Return to refrigerator for 45 minutes to completely cool. 

Once completely cooled, spread whipped cream over top in a smooth and even layer directly to pie crust edges.  With a pastry bag and piping tip, alternate in a circle around the pie of circles of whipped cream and banana slices.  Return to refrigerator for 6 hours to overnight.