tree is finally up at our house!
Come, they told me, pa rum pum pum pum ………
Well, the Key Lime Pie Aficionado is home for Christmas and, while he was off visiting all his New York friends all weekend, I decided to make him a special treat for when he returned last night for his welcome-home roast chicken and roasted-garlic mashed potatoes dinner. I had some sugared cranberries left from my olive oil cake and my mind began to wander………. “This is what I miss, home-cooked dinners” was the exact retort as he dug into his mile high potato mound – to which I respond, I am available as a private chef for $$$ per day. Ha!
As you roam around your bountiful citrus section these days and right up to Christmas, Key Lime Pie may not be the dessert that instantly comes to mind as you eye all of the options. Visions of sugar plums may be dancing in your head as you peruse, as they are in mine. I bagged my first kumquats the other day in Dean and Deluca and I was seriously tempted to use them up yesterday. Truth be told, I’d rather be sugaring those kumquats or some blood oranges right now. But, I knew in my heart that the surprise that would be most heartily greeted was his favorite – the KLP. Could I make this treat into something festive-looking for this time of the year?
Now, I know that my in-house food critic’s absolute fav is from the Breakers and I’ve even gone so far as to have my own private lesson there a couple of years ago, hosted by their very gracious and talented pastry team. You can read about it on my blog. But, yesterday I decided to try my hand at something slightly different. I believe my Dad is watching down from heaven as these extra-particular genes are expressing themselves two generations down in the form of notions and evaluations on a daily basis………. It’s uncanny…….
Here I began with the recipe from Smitten Kitchen. We all know that Key Lime Pie is essentially key lime juice, eggs and sweetened condensed milk. These recipes vary little. I have made a few adjustments of my own, used the chef’s favorite juice from Nellie and Joe, and then, we got all “dressed up” for Christmas! I do believe, in hindsight, that I could have done some further work with the greenery here – one can never have enough greenery now, can one?
KEY LIME TART WITH TOASTED COCONUT AND SUGARED CRANBERRIES – adapted from Smitten Kitchen
Crust: 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
3 tbsp granulated sugar
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 pinches sea salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
Filling:
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly grated lime zest
3 extra large egg yolks
1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
2/3 cup key lime juice
1 tablespoon Grand Marnier
Topping:
1 1/2 cups sweetened coconut, toasted and cooled
1 1/2 cups sugared cranberries
1 mint sprig, lime leaf or sprig of sage
Make Crust: Preheat oven to 350F.
Melt butter and cool slightly. In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Note: don’t hesitate to add 1/8 cup of finely ground nuts here such as almonds or hazelnuts. Add the butter and mix with a fork until well blended. Press the crumb mixture into a 10″ tart pan with removable bottom, ensuring the crumbs are pressed uniformly up the sides. Bake the crust for 10 minutes until lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool on a cooling rack.
Make filling: In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks until pale and thick, about 5 minutes. Add the sweetened condensed milk and beat again, 3 minutes. Add the key lime juice and Grand Marnier and whisk until blended. Fold in the lime zest with a rubber spatula. Pour the filling into the prepared and cooled crust and bake for 10 minutes or until set, but not browned on top. Remove from oven and let cool completely on a cooling rack.
To decorate: Working with small handfuls of toasted coconut wedged between the outside of your palms set in a “V”, gently arrange the toasted coconut around the outside edge of the tart. Then arrange the sugared cranberries uniformly in the center. Place a sprig of mint, lime leaf or as I did yesterday, a small sprig of fresh sage in the center as a garnish. Viola!
Hope you enjoy! I know someone who did! 🙂 I was very happy with this result. The next thing out of the critic’s mouth, “where are the Spritz cookies, Mom?”……. Jeez!
