Chocolate Crusted Key Lime Pie

My precious Husband, Mike, is a true "born and raised" Floridian, and his favorite dessert is REAL Key Lime Pie. The first time I tasted it was on our Honeymoon in Key Largo and I began to understand his passion. 

 Traditionally Key Lime Pie has a Graham Cracker crust, this is a different twist on a traditional recipe and has become our definite favorite!

The link at the bottom of this page will take you to the printable recipe...

..Click HERE for the printable recipe. 

Black Bottom Key Lime Pie

Want a super easy dessert that is bound to WOW.  Key Lime pie is a favorite dessert in "these parts", and it's amazingly easy to throw together.

You will need:

1/2 C. Key Lime Juice (I use Nellie and Joe's)

1-8oz package cream cheese, softened to room temp (I use Organic)

1-14oz can sweetened condensed milk (I use organic)

3 egg yolks (no whites)

1 box Annies Chocolate Bunnie Grahams

2 Tbsp. melted real butter and 1 Tbsp. Coconut Oil (or all butter)

*You need to use Key Lime juice, not regular lime juice.

Preheat oven to 350. 

Using a food processor, pulverize the bunnies until they are a fine crumb.  OR, you can put them in a tough gallon freezer bag and beat them with a rolling pin.... it really depends on your mood, LOLOL.

In a medium bowl, mix the cookie crumbs with the melted butter.  Press mixture into the bottom and sides of an oiled/buttered 9 inch pie dish.  

Bake for 10 minutes at 350.  Prepare filling while it bakes.

In your mixer, sweetened condensed milk, add cream cheese by 2 Tablespoon chunks, beating well after each addition.  Continue to beat until light and fluffy.  Add the egg yolks, and mix on med-high 2 minutes to thicken (stop mixer occasionally and scrape sides).  With mixer on low, add lime juice.  Increase speed and mix until smooth.  Pour into prepared pie shell.

Bake for 13 minutes at 350.  Remove from oven and let stand on cooling rack at least 20 minutes before refrigerating.  Chill for at least 4 hours before serving.

Top with freshly whipped cream (I like to add a tiny bit of sugar to the cream). 

NOTE:  Before refrigerating, I like to melt some chocolate chips with a little olive oil and drizzle a pretty pattern on top of the pie.

Making Crystallized Ginger

Crystallized (or candied) Ginger is a bit expensive at the grocery store, and my Wally World quit carrying it, so I decided to find out how to make it myself. I like to have it on hand because it's a key ingredient in my Ginger Crinkle Cookies - a favorite around here. After making it myself I realized that the flavor of the homemade version was much better than store bought and I liked snacking on it.

Ginger is good for you, snack on a piece of this if you have an upset tummy, or drop a piece into a cup of chammomile or green tea.

What you'll need

A good sized hunk of fresh gingerroot

Sugar (I used organic turbinado for cooking and organic granulated for coating)

Water

Sealable glass jar is best for storage

Peel and thinly slice the gingerroot, place in heavy saucepan and cover with water.

Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to a simmer.

Continue cooking until tender (this took me about 1 hour and 20 minutes, but test yours every 30 minutes).

Drain ginger and return it to the empty pot. Add an amount of sugar equal to the amount of ginger you have (guessing is OK), plus 3 Tbsp. water. Bring to a boil, stirring often, and cook until th liquid has almost evaporated.

Reduce heat and cook until almost dry (this part happened very quickly for me). Cool ginger on a cooling rack, then toss in sugar. Store in airtight container (glass is preferred). It should store at room temp for about 3 months.

Dig up some roots and get slicin' (kidding - go buy it at the store!)

Mom's Texas Apple Pie

This Apple Pie is the one I remember eating as a Child at my Grandma Nonnies house in Laredo, TX...it's the one that I remember watching my own Mom's loving hands make...peeling each apple, rolling out the crust...it's the one I remember coming home to after school, and enjoying with a glass of milk. The memories of this Apple Pie are almost as good as it's full rich flavor.

NOTE: Most of the measurements are approximate and should be added to "taste"...

Mom's Texas Apple Pie

3-4 good sized Granny Smith apples

3-4 good sized Braeburn apples

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 -2 tsp. ground Cinnoman

1-2 Tbsp. Butter (cut into bits)

2 Tbsp. flour

1/2 to 1 tsp. ground Cloves

2-3 Tbsp. Lemon juice

Egg white, milk and melted butter (optional)

1 tsp. turbinado sugar

2 unbaked pie crusts...check out my favorite flaky, tasty Cream_Cheese_Piecrust...

Preheat oven to 325. Core, peel and slice apples (the easiest way I know is the handy_tool in my photo). In a large bowl, mix apples, brown sugar, lemon juice, flour, cinnoman and cloves. Taste and adjust seasonings. Arrange one pie shell in a 9 inch pie dish. Scoop apple filling into pie shell, and pile it high.

Top with 2nd crust, crimp edges to seal and pierce for steam release.

In a small bowl lightly beat egg white with 1 tbsp milk and 1 tsp melted butter, brush mixture all over pie crust and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.

Bake 45-60 minutes, or until apples are completely tender when pierced with knife. Serve warm with ice cream of at room temperature.

NOTE: during last 15 minutes of baking it may be necessary to cover edges with foil to prevent burning.

Happy Baking!

Chocolate Frosting

Chocolate Frosting (from Cooking Light)

1/2 cup (4 ounces) light cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 to 2 tablespoons evaporated fat-free milk (1/2 n 1/2 or regular milk will work also)
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 cups powdered sugar, divided

To prepare frosting, place the cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until fluffy. Add cocoa, milk, and 1/8 teaspoon salt; beat at low speed until well blended. Gradually add 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar; beat at low speed until creamy. Gradually add remaining 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar. Place cake on a serving platter. Spread frosting over top and sides of cake.
The sugar in this recipe stabilizes the cream cheese and other dairy, so it can sit out for about 24 hours in an air conditioned home. Otherwise, store cake loosely covered in the refrigerator.

Enjoy!

Italian Cream Cake

I found this recipe in Cooking Light Annual Recipes 2008. My variations are: I used regular flour, just shy of 2 cups, made buttermilk using 1 tbsp lemon juice and milk to make 1 cup, I didn't toast the pecans, I cut the recipe in half and used 6 inch pans for small cake. I have also read reviews where people preferred a whipped cream icing, but I like the cream cheese, only its REALLY sweet, so don't cut a big slice!

Cake:
butter and flour for pans
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 large egg yolks
2 cups cake flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans, toasted
1 tsp coconut extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
6 large egg whites

Frosting:
1 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup (5 oz) less fat cream cheese
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350. Butter and flour pans.
Beat butter until creamy, add sugar, beat well. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well.
Lightly spoon flour into measuring cups. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt; stir well. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Stir in pecans, and extracts.
Beat egg whites with a mixer at high speed until stiff peaks form (do NOT overbeat). Fold egg whites into batter; pour batter into prepared pans. Bake at 350 for 23 minutes (less time for smaller pans) or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 5 minutes on a wire rack. Loosen cake layers from sides of pans; remove from pans. Cool completely.

To prepare frosting, place 1 Tbsp butter and cream cheese in large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until fluffy. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating at low speed until smooth (do not overbeat). Add 1 tsp vanilla; beat well.

Frost cake and serve, yum!

I pressed chopped pecans onto the sides of the cake for a pretty presentation. You could also put a few raspberries and some mint leaves or fresh (untreated) Roses on the top center of the cake.

Stuffed Strawberries

This recipe came from an old magazine clipping and was submitted by a woman named Mary Pappas.


20 large fresh strawberries
3 oz cream cheese (light)
2 Tbsp finely chopped Walnuts or Pecans
1 1/2 Tbsp powdered sugar
1 tsp. orange juice


Finely chop 2 strawberries and set aside. Cut a thin slice from the stem end of each of the remaining strawberries (making a base to stand on). Cut each berry into 4 wedges, starting at the pointed end, cutting to but not through stem ends.


Beat Cream Cheese until fluffy, beat in sugar and orange juice. Stir in diced strawberries and nuts. Pipe into berries (spreading carefully), about 1 tsp each. Chill.

Tips: 

*  I found that chilling the filling for a while makes it fill the berries much neater.
*  I drizzled these with melted semi-sweet chocolate for a pretty presentation.