I spent last week in sunny, warm south Florida and I’m just going to say it.. it was heavenly. The air was fresh, the sun was shinning and the breeze was warm. Nothing wrong with sunny and 75, right? Well.. I can up that a notch or two because not only did this winter-burned New England gal enjoy perfect weather I had the privilege of spending a few days with the brilliant pastry chef, Hedy Goldsmith.
As I’ve mentioned, I’m helping her with her first cookbook so I flew down to spend some time with Hedy at the restaurant – Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink - to get a feel for the flavor and vibe of what makes Hedy desserts oh-so-Hedy and delicious.The cast and crew of the restaurant are all wonderful, talented, creative folks .. especially Hedy’s crew Amy and Tru but I’m not playing favorites (well.. sort of).. and I happily ate (TY Bradley, Matt, Amy, Tru & Company) and drank (thank you Eric, Ryan and Nick) my way through everything put in front of me. Really phenomenal food and desserts here so please, please stop by if you are ever in Miami… and tell everyone I say hi.
After meal number 2 (brunch = fabulous!), I rolled – literally “rolled”- over to Hedy’s place where we sat down at their beautiful dining table and got to work. And work we did.. I think it was about 5 hours of non-stop recipe review and discussion save for the short breaks to play with their adorable puppies and fend off Heidi’s requests to play “somm”. Not like me to turn down what I knew would be an outstanding wine choice by Heidi but.. I had business to take care of first. Five hours and 24 recipes later, Heidi uncorked the wine and rolled out an incredible feast from Joe’s Stone Crab. All the faves were there – Stone crab claws (duh…), coleslaw, hashbrowns and, the finally blow to my waist line… key lime pie. It was a spectacular end to a wonderful working weekend.. I know.. I have some nerve calling it “work”..
Here’s a pic of me & Hedy sitting outside enjoying brunch.. check out that Red Velvet Cupcake on the table and please disregard my typical (and, yes, childish) “smile”. Heidi took this snapshot and immediately said “oh nice.. you know we don’t have one decent one..”
Joe’s Key Lime Pie reminded me of my own version of the classic and, in hopes of keeping the warm weather and good food fresh in my mind, I dusted off my own key lime tart recipe.. one of my son Ales’s all time faves. The pic above is drizzled with Hedy’s Strawberry Consumee (you’ll have to wait for the book for that recipe) and I like to top my KL pie with a dollop of creme fraiche and a basil sprig. If basil on your KL isn’t your thing, here’s a pic of it with only the creme fraiche but I really would like you to try it with the basil..
For the crust:
2 cups (9 ounces) finely crushed graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
For the Filling:
2 cans (14 ounces each) sweetened condensed milk
1 1/3 cup key lime juice (or fresh lemon juice, if you’re in a pinch)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Good pinch of table salt
4 yolks from large eggs
2 large eggs
To serve:
Creme fraiche
Basil sprigs
To make the crust:
Heat the oven to 375°F. Wrap the outside of a 9-inch springform pan tightly with a piece of aluminum foil to catch any butter drippings. In a medium bowl, stir together the cookie crumbs, sugar, and cinnamon until well blended. Drizzle the melted butter over the crumbs and mix and smear the crumbs and butter until well blended and evenly moist. Dump the mixture into the prepared pan and press evenly onto the bottom and about 2 inches up the sides of the pan. To keep the crumbs in the pan and not covering my hands, I cover the crumbs with a piece of plastic wrap and press the crumbs up the sides of the pan and scatter (again ,using the plastic) the remaining crumbs evenly over the bottom. I use a straight-sided, flat-based metal measuring cup or a tart tamper to press firmly but anything with a flat bottom will do the trick. Bake until fragrant and slightly darker brown, 10 to12 minutes and set on a rack to cool.
Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.
To make the filling:
In a medium bowl, combine the condensed milk, key lime juice, vanilla, and salt. Whisk until well blended and smooth. Add the yolks and whole eggs and whisk just until blended. Scrape the filling into the baked crust. Bake until the center of the filling just barely jiggles when the pan is nudged, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and set on a rack to cool at least 1 hour before serving. The tart can also be cooled completely, wrapped in plastic and refrigerated up to 2 days or frozen up to 1 month.
{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }
I wanted to stop reading after you mentioned your trip to Florida, but I couldn’t resist the key lime pie. Thanks for torturing us!
I love how thick (tall) the pie is! Sadly, we don’t often see key limes up here in Montreal.
This baby really is meaty isn’t it? I love its strong profile! You should def try it with lemon juice.. nice and tangy sweet-tart.. just as delish. I pormise!
With the snow and yuck coming your way t’mrow Brian, I think you must make this.. medicinal qualities for sure..
One of my all time favorite desserts even if mine is only faux key lime pie…that’s right; finding the real deals is a once in a blue moon event. I want the creme fraiche and line me up for the book…I can only imagine it will be stellar.
Creme fraiche is the perfect partner for this sweet-tart filling.. and the basil adds a touch of peppery-heat.. try in chiffonade.. ps.. make it with lemon juice..
Indeed sunshine you brought back from Florida!! Love the post, seems like you filled up your tank and re-energized down south! I can feel the sun, air and freshness you are talking about. That snap shot in the cafe says it all.:) I am not a big pie girl but coconut cream and key lime, yup, I will take a slice anyday anytime!
This is just the thing I need to cure me of my winter blues Abby. It looks incredibly delicious.
Abby, you are too cute. I am jealous of your travels but will make myself feel better by making this today!
Can’t wait to try this. This sounds so refreshing.
And it’s very easy to make.. and do use meyers, limes or lemons- or even a combo of all- if you don’t have key limes.. Folks have been riffing on the citrus and loving the results!
Heaven indeed! Gorgeous, thick, rich, dense and lime and I couldn’t ask for anything more! Quite simply with a dollop of whipped cream is perfect! I was just asked by a friend for a Key Lime Pie recipe and I have never made one so I’ll send her here. I would much rather have this beauty than a “classic”. Lovely! And I wouldn’t mind a crab lunch! Oooh I love going to Florida for the seafood!
Key lime pie is one of my favorites! It makes me think of warm summer days, flip flops, and Jimmy Buffet Parrothead Parties.
I just bought 30 key limes . . .
The pie makes me so homesick! I moved to Australia from Florida and loved how easy it was to make *real* key lime pie. I had to order graham crackers and crumbs from the states but this pie is certainly worth it.
Dessert for dinner is sorted! Lamb rack for dinner and I’ll feel Australian and I’ll feel American with every bite of dessert. Perfect combo. Thanks!
Delighted I could bring a touch of home to you!! Folks have been making this with lemon or meyer lemon juice, too..
Love to make this wonderful recipe, but I have always had a problem with getting the graham cracker crust off of the bottom without destroying it. I want to transfer it to a cake board so I can bring it to a potluck. Any advice on how to transfer it from the pan without destroying it would be appreciated. Thanks.
Yeah it’s always a bit tricky to transfer this type of tart..I’d suggest you line the bottom of the pan with a circle of parchment and then proceed with the recipe. Make sure it’s nice and cold.. in fact, if you can, pop it into the freezer for about 15 minutes – it will make it more stable. Slide a wide, long spatula between the crust and the bottom to release the crust and, using a second spatula, lift the cake to a flat serving plate. The parchment might still be under the tart but that’s better than having the metal bottom!
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