To help us eat healthier, we've subscribed to an organic vegetable/fruit delivery service. Every other week a box of goodies show up on our doorstep. This past week's box included several limes.
"What the heck are we going to do with those?" I asked Hubby, holding up the bag of limes. "Make limeade?"
"Nah," he replied. "I've got a better idea. Let's make pie!"
But it's hot and humid in the deep South right now. And we didn't want to turn on the oven. So Hubby found a pie recipe that uses the microwave and adapted it to be both gluten free and for key limes. I know. I know. Many people will roll their eyes when they read that last part. We don't usually bake with the microwave. But sometimes, like when the A/C can't keep up with heat and humidity outside, there really is no other choice. I mean, unless you don't want pie.
And I wanted the pie!
Ingredients:
3 Tbsp butter
1 1/2 cups Gluten Free Chocolate Chip cookie crumbles (We used Immaculate Baking Co's Gluten Free Chocolate Chunk cookies--found in the refrigerator section. We baked them in the toaster oven for longer than the directions called for to take them from the chewy-gooey consistency to a crunchy toasted cookie.)
3 eggs, beaten
1 cup granulated sugar (We used raw sugar)
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (About 3 limes)
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 Tbsp grated lime rind
1 cup whipping cream (We used a reduced fat whipping cream)
Directions:
1. CRUST. In the microwave, melt 3 Tbsp of butter. It should take about a minute. Stir cookie crumbs into the melted butter until moistened and press into a 9-inch microwave-safe pie plate. Press against sides and bottom of the pie plate to form the crust. (Found that we needed to use our fingers to press the crumbs to form the crust.)
2. Microwave crust at HIGH for 1 1/2 minutes or until the crust is set. Let cool completely. (We put it in the fridge while we tackled the next part.)
3. FILLING: In a microwavable bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until well combined. Stir in the lime juice, melted (but cooled) butter, and rind.
4. Microwave on HIGH for 3 to 5 minutes until the mixture boils and thickly covers a spoon when stirred. (Stir twice when cooking.) Let cool. Put mixture in fridge until cool.
5. Whip cream. (Hint: when whipping cream, things will go faster if the cream is COLD as well as the bowl and the whisk. I placed them in the freezer for 15 minutes prior to whipping. And then whipped with my electric mixer.) Whip until stiff.
6. Fold half of the whipped cream into the cooled lime curd mixture.
7. Spoon lime curd mixture into the prepared pie crust. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour (overnight is better.)
8. For the remaining whipped cream, add a teaspoon of vanilla and powdered sugar to taste to make a whipped topping for the pie when you serve it.
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Dorothy McFalls is author of more than 13 novels (including the White House Gardener Mystery series written as Dorothy St. James).
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Spunky bounty hunter Vega Brookes meets her match when she hunts down a dangerous ex-special forces officer accused of murder.
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