Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Celebrating 3.14159265358979323846
Friday is Pi Day and some lucky kids are allowed to take real pies to their Math classes that day. My son has decided to bake a Key Lime Pie because it is his favorite and it’s pretty easy to make.
The pie originated, I understand, down in the Florida Keys. Limes and all citrus plants are Asian but a species of lime came to flourish in the Keys, tolerating the poor soil and drought conditions. The fruit is virtually inedible however, as it is small, bitter and almost rock hard. Before the road down to Key West was built the only supplies arrived by ship and fresh diary goods were not available. The dairy product du jour was canned sweetened condensed milk. Some bright spark put the two together as a way of making each a little more palatable, add an easy crust made of smashed crackers and a famous pie was born. There have been some refinements to the recipe since then like the addition of eggs to set the custard, the use of larger Persian limes that are available in the grocery aisles, and adding butter and sugar to the crust, but please, don’t be tempted by food coloring.
Remember to check with your math teacher before showing up with your pie.
Key Lime Pie -serves an entire class if cut small enough.
1 ¼ cups graham cracker crumbs, -from about 9 crackers
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
4 tablespoons melted butter
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Stir the above ingredients together and press into an even layer on the bottom and sides of a 9” pie plate. A disposable one is fine, though it does give the impression that you bought the crust.
Bake for 10 minutes whilst assembling the filling ingredients as follows.
1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
4 large egg yolks
Finely grated zest of 1 lime
Juice of 2 limes or more to taste
Stir the ingredients together and taste to check that it is tart enough, add more lime juice if necessary.
Pour the filling into the crust and bake for 15 minutes.
Cool and then refrigerate the pie.
Serve with whipped cream if you like.
On no account should you discard the egg whites left over from making the pie. They can be stored in the fridge for a week or so until you are ready to make meringues.
4 egg whites, -no trace of yolks allowed.
½ cup white sugar
½ cup light brown sugar
Mix together the sugars, making sure there are no lumps.
Whisk the egg whites in a very clean bowl, any oil or fat will result in a flat mixture.
When a soft billowing white mix has been achieved, add half the sugar and continue to beat the whites until they are stiff and glossy. Beat in the remaining sugar.
Spoon tablespoons of the mixture on to a parchment lined baking sheet and bake in the oven at as cool a temperature as possible for 3 or more hours until the meringues are crisp.
Serve plain, with whipped cream and fruit or lemon curd.
The pie originated, I understand, down in the Florida Keys. Limes and all citrus plants are Asian but a species of lime came to flourish in the Keys, tolerating the poor soil and drought conditions. The fruit is virtually inedible however, as it is small, bitter and almost rock hard. Before the road down to Key West was built the only supplies arrived by ship and fresh diary goods were not available. The dairy product du jour was canned sweetened condensed milk. Some bright spark put the two together as a way of making each a little more palatable, add an easy crust made of smashed crackers and a famous pie was born. There have been some refinements to the recipe since then like the addition of eggs to set the custard, the use of larger Persian limes that are available in the grocery aisles, and adding butter and sugar to the crust, but please, don’t be tempted by food coloring.
Remember to check with your math teacher before showing up with your pie.
Key Lime Pie -serves an entire class if cut small enough.
1 ¼ cups graham cracker crumbs, -from about 9 crackers
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
4 tablespoons melted butter
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Stir the above ingredients together and press into an even layer on the bottom and sides of a 9” pie plate. A disposable one is fine, though it does give the impression that you bought the crust.
Bake for 10 minutes whilst assembling the filling ingredients as follows.
1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
4 large egg yolks
Finely grated zest of 1 lime
Juice of 2 limes or more to taste
Stir the ingredients together and taste to check that it is tart enough, add more lime juice if necessary.
Pour the filling into the crust and bake for 15 minutes.
Cool and then refrigerate the pie.
Serve with whipped cream if you like.
On no account should you discard the egg whites left over from making the pie. They can be stored in the fridge for a week or so until you are ready to make meringues.
4 egg whites, -no trace of yolks allowed.
½ cup white sugar
½ cup light brown sugar
Mix together the sugars, making sure there are no lumps.
Whisk the egg whites in a very clean bowl, any oil or fat will result in a flat mixture.
When a soft billowing white mix has been achieved, add half the sugar and continue to beat the whites until they are stiff and glossy. Beat in the remaining sugar.
Spoon tablespoons of the mixture on to a parchment lined baking sheet and bake in the oven at as cool a temperature as possible for 3 or more hours until the meringues are crisp.
Serve plain, with whipped cream and fruit or lemon curd.
