Key Lime Pie

This is easily the best key lime pie I've ever had, and it is also the easiest! I made it for Christmas and have been waiting for Pi Day to make it again (March 14th = 3.14 = pi for those of you that might not be math nerds like me). It was definitely worth the wait and I'm glad that I had lots of other people there to eat it with me so I didn't eat the whole thing myself! I only got one picture of the pie because it disappeared so quickly...and in a room full of pies, that's saying something!

A quick note: the first time I made this I used fat free sweetened condensed milk and low-fat sour cream. It tasted great, but the textured was just a little grainy. This time I used full-fat milk and sour cream and it was perfectly smooth and creamy. Either way will work, you just have to decide whether you want to sacrifice the texture to save some calories!

Key Lime Pie
adapted from Allrecipes

8" prepared graham cracker crust (I always buy Honeymaid brand because it's the only one I've found that doesn't have trans fat)
2 cups sweetened condensed milk (about 1 1/2 cans)
1/2 cup key lime juice (I used bottled, Nellie and Joe's Brand is the best!)
1/3 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together milk, lime juice, and sour cream in large bowl until smooth. Pour into prepared crust and bake for 5-8 minutes, until tiny pinholes form on the top of the pie. Cool completely and garnish with whipped cream and lime slices.

Fresh Fruit Tart

Can you believe I've been holding out on you like this? I made these tarts two weeks ago and I'm just now getting around to sharing the recipe with you! I'm so sorry and hope that someday you'll forgive me. These turned out gorgeous and delicious, a perfect way to use up the fresh fruit that has been on sale here lately.



Fresh Berry Tart

Tart crust, enough for one 10" tart pan (I used this recipe, see notes below)
1 pkg. (4 serving size) instant sugar-free vanilla pudding mix
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tsp. vanilla
3 Tb. granulated sugar
2 - 3 cups fresh fruit, washed and sliced (such as strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries)
1 pkg. raspberry flavored Danish Dessert mix
1 1/2 cups cold water
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Cook tart crust in 10" fluted tart pan with removable bottom according to recipe directions. Cool completely.
2. Prepare Danish Dessert according to package directions, substituting 1/4 cup lemon juice and 1 1/2 cups cold water in place of the water. Cool completely and set aside.
3. In bowl of stand mixer, whip cream, vanilla, and sugar until stiff peaks form.
4. In medium bowl, mix pudding mix and milk. Fold in half of the whipped cream. Spread pudding/cream mixture into bottom of tart shell. Spread a very thin layer of Danish Dessert over the top of the pudding mixture. Arrange berries on top of Danish Dessert, and top with another thin layer of Danish Dessert.
5. Melt chocolate chips in small bowl in microwave for 30 seconds, stir until completely melted, returning to microwave for 30 more seconds if needed. Put in a small ziploc bag, cut off a very small piece on the corner. Drizzle melted chocolate over the top of the tart. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 24 hours. Garnish with remaining whipped cream.

Note: I used Dorie Greenspan's "Great Unshrinkable Sweet Tart Shell" recipe...but I did it the lazy man's way, meaning I didn't freeze it in between steps. It shrunk a little, but still turned out delicious in less than half the time.


I also made some mini tarts with the same method, minus the Danish Dessert, and they were delicious as well.

Key Lime Pie Cupcakes

I made these beauties for our annual Pi Day celebration on Saturday, and they turned out delicious. As an added bonus, they're lime which means they work for St. Patrick's Day, too. But let's be honest...is there any time when cupcakes aren't appropriate? I don't think so!

Key Lime Pie Cupcakes

Cupcakes
1 package yellow or white cake mix
1 package (4 serving size) instant vanilla pudding
2 limes, zested and juiced
1 cup oil
1 cup milk
4 eggs

Key Lime Filling
6 oz. cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 pkg. cool whip or 3 cups fresh whipped cream
1 cup lime juice
1 tsp. lime zest

Topping
fresh sweetened whipped cream
1/4 cup crushed graham crackers
24 lime slices

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners.
2. Mix all ingredients for cupcakes with electric mixer for 3 minutes. Divide batter evenly between cupcakes wrappers. Bake for 18 - 20 minutes or until top springs back when touched. Move to cooling rack and cool completely.
3. Meanwhile, make filling by mixing cream cheese, lime juice, and lime zest with electric mixer until well combined and creamy. Add sweetened condensed milk and mix thoroughly. Gently fold in whipped cream.
4. Fill the cupcakes with key lime filling using the cone method or a pastry bag fitted with a long tip.
5. Top with whipped cream and garnish with lime slices and graham cracker crumbs. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 2 days (in my ever so humble opinion, I think these are even better the second day). Enjoy!

Banana Cream Pie Cupcakes

Pie flavored cupcakes. What could be better than pie + cupcakes? These are amazing, the picture really doesn't do them justice. I created them for a co-worker who loves banana cream pie and me who loves cupcakes. Yum!


Banana Cream Pie Cupcakes

1 pkg. yellow cake mix
1 pkg. (4 serving size) sugar free vanilla or banana cream pudding mix
4 large eggs
1 cup oil
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 cups milk, divided
1 pkg. (4 serving size) banana cream pudding mix
3 cups heavy whipping cream
2-3 tsp. vanilla
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2-3 bananas, sliced
3 graham crackers, crushed

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 cupcake tins with cupcake papers.
2. Beat cake mix, vanilla pudding mix, eggs, oil, 1 tsp. vanilla and 1 cup milk with electric beat until combined. Beat 2 minutes. Divide mixture evenly between cupcake tins.
3. Bake cupcakes for 20 - 25 minutes. Move to cooling rack and cool completely.
4. Beat whipping cream, 2-3 tsp. vanilla, and 1/3 cup granulated sugar in bowl of large electric mixer until stiff peaks form.
5. Mix banana cream pudding mix and 1 1/2 cups milk until well blended. Fold in 1 1/2 cups of the whipped cream.
6. With pastry bag fitted with large flower end, pipe banana cream filling into cupcakes, dividing evenly between the 24 cupcakes (it's ok if it leaks out of the top of the cupcake a little).
7. Pipe whipping cream over tops of cupcakes. Top with 1 or 2 banana slices each, and sprinkle with crushed graham crackers. Serve immediately.

Blueberry Cream Cheese Tart

Here is the recipe for one of the pies I made for National Pie Day last week. I've made it a couple of times with a few tweaks, and this time it turned even more delicious than last time. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Blueberry Cream Cheese Tart

Crust
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup flour
2/3 cup butter, softened

Cream Cheese Filling
6 oz. low-fat cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Blueberry Topping
3 1/2 cups blueberries
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 Tb. cornstarch
2 Tb. water
1 lemon, zested and juiced

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix flour, powdered sugar, and butter with fork, two knives, or a pastry cutter until fine crumbs form. Press into 10 inch tart pan with removable bottom. Be sure to press it firmly up the sides of the pan and evenly along the bottom.
3. Bake crust for 10 - 12 minutes or until barely browned. Cool completely.
4. To prepare the cream cheese filling, beat whipping cream with granulated sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form. In separate bowl beat cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth and creamy. Fold whipped cream into cream cheese mixture. Spoon over cooled crust and spread evenly. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before topping with the blueberry topping.
5. To prepare blueberry topping, place blueberries in large saucepan over medium heat. Cook for 5 minutes or until mostly thawed. Sprinkle with sugar.
6. Dissolve cornstarch in lemon juice and water. Add beaten egg. Pour over blueberries.
7. Cook blueberry mixture for 10 - 15 minutes or until bubbly and thick. Cool completely and spread evenly over cream cheese mixture.
8. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 2 days.

Pie Crust

Did you know that today is National Pie Day? Don't feel bad, I didn't find out until yesterday. Which means that, naturally, I spent today making some delicious pies. I couldn't make just one, not for an exciting holiday like this. I'll post some of the other recipes over the next week, but I thought I'd start out with this recipe for pie crust. It's a family favorite that I've been making since I was...10 maybe? Maybe earlier, I'm not sure. But it's delicious and if a 10 year old can make it, so can you!

Pie Crust

2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup shortening
1/3 cup milk
1 T. vinegar

1. Mix flour, salt, and sugar in medium bowl.
2. Cut butter and shortening into dry ingredients with a pastry cutter or two knives until mixture forms small crumbs.
3. Add vinegar into milk and let sit for one minute. Add to other ingredients and mix until just combined.
4. Divide dough into two or three balls. Place one ball on lightly floured surface. Roll pie dough into circle about 1/8 - 1/4 inch (depending on how thick you like your crust). Fold in half, then in thirds, and move to pie pan.
5. Fill with your favorite pie filling and bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes, then decrease temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 45 more minutes. For an unbaked filling (cream filling, pudding, banana cream, etc.) prick the pie crust all over with a fork. Bake at 375 degrees for 12 - 15 minutes or until lightly browned.