Kickin' Key Lime Pie

The key lime is a wonderful thing.  Small and aromatic, with a thin rind and unique flavor, it makes an excellent filling for pie. During the warm summer months, this is one dessert that I crave, so I'm always happy to have a bag of key limes from Melissa's Produce. I have found, over the years, that squeezing a bag of key limes, without fail, yields 3/4 cup of juice. My pie recipe calls for 1 cup of juice. In the past I have made up the difference with bottled juice (Horrors!  But true.), but this time I was determined to stay off of the bottle and use something else. 

While squeezing the limes I kept asking myself just what pairs well with lime? The answer came almost immediately (and I'm not quite sure just exactly what this says about me) - Tequila!  Of course!  So when the bag of limes yielded the expected 3/4 cup of juice, I made up the difference with 1/4 cup of Tequila. Ho, boy, this is what I call pie! Tart and sweet, with a slight kick of Tequila that made for a unique and delicious dessert. You will love this!

Kickin' Key Lime Pie

2 cans Sweetened Condensed Milk

3/4 cup freshly squeezed key lime juice

1/4 cup Tequila

1 tablespoon lime zest (zest before squeezing)

4 yolks from extra-large eggs

1 graham cracker crust (to which you may or may not add 1 teaspoon of lime zest)

1 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Lime zest for garnish

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a large stainless steel mixing bowl, whisk together the condensed milk, lime juice, tequila, zest, and egg yolks. Pour into the pre-baked graham cracker shell. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove to wire rack to cool. Once cool, cover loosely and refrigerate for 12-24 hours. Just before serving, whip cream to stiff peaks, slowly adding the sugar. Pipe decoratively onto pie and garnish with lime zest.

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Sunday’s Best

Lemon Cloud Pie with Lemony Graham Cracker Crust

What is it about summer and lemons that make such a great combination?  Is there anything more welcome on a hot day than a freshly squeezed glass of homemade lemonade? Cold and refreshing with an equal amount of tart and sweet, it hydrates, invigorates, and is satisfyingly delicious. Such is the case with this mouthwatering lemon pie. Lemon in the crust, filling, and atop whipped cream make it exceptionally good, and a light and refreshing end to any summer meal.

Lemon Cloud Pie

with Lemony Graham Cracker Crust

Filling
4 yolks from extra-large eggs
2 cans (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 cup juice from Melissa’s Organic Meyer Lemons (6-8)
1 Tablespoon finely grated lemon zest

Lemony Graham Cracker Crust

1 cup crushed graham crackers

1/2 cup crushed Lemon Snaps Cookies*

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Crush crackers and cookies by pulsing in a food processor, or by placing them in a heavy duty plastic bag and smashing them with a rolling pin. Stir in sugar and melted better and press into the bottom and up the sides of a 9" pie pan. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove to a wire rack and cool completely.

For the filling, beat the yolks in the work bowl of a stand mixer, or with a hand mixer for about 5 minutes. Add sweetened condensed milk and continue beating until thick and creamy. Add lemon juice and zest, beating until combined. Pour filling into cooled crust. Bake until center is set, about 25-35 minutes. Remove pie and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for 24 hours.

Top with lightly sweetened whipped cream, if desired, and a few gratings of lemon zest.

*Like these.

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Create It Thursday

Home and Garden Thursday

Home Sweet Home

Show and Tell Friday 

Friday Unfolded
Fabulously Creative Friday
Fridays Flash Blog
Simple and Sweet Fridays

Meyer Lemon Cheesecake Bars

 I’m about to show you something very exciting.  Yes, yes, these Meyer Lemon Cheesecake Bars are darned exciting, but take a look at these lemons.  

What’s so special about a bunch of lemons, you ask?  Well, first of all, they are Meyer Lemons, a citrus fruit, native to China, and believed to be a cross between an orange and a lemon. Second, I grew them myself!  Now for those of you living in citrus country I’m sure this is a real yawner for you, but for me, here in the Mississippi Valley, this is thrilling!  I grew all six of these on one small plant that was potted on my back deck.  The fruit formed during the summer, following the most delicious smelling blossoms, and continued to grow and ripen when I moved the plant indoors for the winter.  The day of the harvest was cause for celebration and I intended to use them in a special recipe worthy of them, and so, I present, Meyer Lemon Cheesecake Bars.  Thumbs up all around from the entire family.  Yes, they were that good.  Presumably they will be equally as tasty when using lemons that you haven’t grown yourself.

Meyer Lemon Cheesecake Bars

Crust:

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

3/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes

Meyer Lemon Layer:

4 extra-large eggs, room temperature

1-1/2 cups granulated sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons lemon zest

3/4 cup Meyer lemon juice

¼ teaspoon lemon oil

Cheesecake Layer:

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 350°F.   Spray a 9” x 13” baking dish with Pam; set aside.

To make crust:  In the work bowl of a food processor, pulse together the 1-1/2 cups flour and confectioners' sugar until mixed.  Drop in cubes of butter and continue pulsing until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press crumbs evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking dish.  Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Remove from oven, and set aside.

To make lemon filling:  Whisk together the eggs, 1-1/2 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, lemon zest, Meyer lemon juice, and lemon oil until well blended. Pour lemon mixture over the prepared crust, skimming off any bubbles from the surface of the filling.

To make cheesecake layer:  Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar in a bowl until well blended.  Whisk in 2 eggs to blend.  Pour mixture over the lemon mixture. Do not worry if they appear to combine, the mixtures will separate during baking.  Bake until the filling is set, about 30 minutes.

To serve, cut into squares and center on a plate drizzled with one of Melissa’s Dessert Sauces.  I chose raspberry because I liked the combination of the colors, but any of these would work wonderfully.

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Wow Us Wednesdays