Key Lime Pie

Key Lime Pie, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.












Key Lime Pie Recipe
www.joyofbaking.com/KeyLimePie.html

Graham Cracker Crust:
1 1/4 cup (125 grams) graham cracker crumbs (can use crushed digestive biscuits)
2 tablespoons (30 grams) granulated white sugar
5 - 6 tablespoons (70 - 85 grams) unsalted butter, melted
Filling:
3 large egg yolks, room temperature
One 14 - ounce (390 grams) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup (120 ml) key lime juice (can use regular limes)
2 teaspoons grated lime zest (outer skin)
Topping:
1 cup (240 ml) cold heavy whipping cream (double cream) (35-40% butterfat content)
2 tablespoons (30 grams) granulated white sugar

Key Lime Pie: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place the oven rack in the center of the oven. Butter or lightly spray with a non stick vegetable spray, a 9 inch (23 cm) pie or tart pan.

Graham Cracker Crust: Mix together the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pan. Bake for about 10 minutes or until set and lightly browned. Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool while you make the filling

Filling: In the bowl of your electric mixer, with the whisk attachment, beat the egg yolks until pale and fluffy (2-3 minutes). Gradually add the condensed milk and beat until light and fluffy (3-5 minutes). Scrape down the sides of the bowl and then beat in the lime juice and zest.

Pour the filling over the crust and bake for about 10 - 15 minutes, or until the filling is set. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Once it has completely cooled, cover and refrigerator for several hours or overnight.

Once the filling has chilled, in the bowl of your electric mixer, with the whisk attachment (or with a hand mixer), beat the whipping cream and sugar until stiff peaks form. Either pipe (I used a Wilton 1M star tip) or place mounds of whipping cream on top of the filling. Can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days.
Makes 1 - 9 inch (23 cm) pie or tart.

Cherry Cream Pie

Cherry Cream Pie, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

I bought a ton of canned sour cherries and decided to make this pie for my mom for mother's day.  I made the cherry pie filling the night before and it was a little runny the next day.  I'll try adding 1tbsp of corn starch next time to thicken it up.

Cherry Cream Pie

Brown crust at 350 for 10 minutes

Boiled mixture do this first to let it cool!

 ½ cup water
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp corn starch
Mix and bring to a boil, until it gets clear
Let cool on the counter


Meringue:

3 egg whites, beat until stiff with beater
When stiff add
¼ cup sugar, beat until stiff again
Add boiled mixture and beat until stiff again


Pudding
3 egg yolks
⅓ to ½ cup sugar
4 rounded tbsp cornstarch
3 cups milk
1 tsp vanilla (or 1 bean)

Beat 3 egg yolks, add 1/3 – ½ cup sugar.  Dissolve 4 rounded Tbsp of cornstarch in 3 cups milk.  If using vanilla bean, scrape seeds into the milk mixture and let the bean pod cook in the mixture.  Remove pod when finished.  Cook over high heat until it thickens, stirring constantly.  (if not using a bean add 1 tsp vanilla after you take it off the heat)

Pour pudding into the browned crust, top with cherry pie filling, pour meringue on top (leaving the middle open so you can see the cherries) and brown the meringue in the oven at 350 until the meringue looks done.

Cherry Filling (you can use 1 can of canned pie filling, but it’s not as good)

2 can sour cherries
2 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar

Drain the juice off the cherries (reserve juice). Add cornstarch to the some of the juice to dissolve it. Cook juice, sugar and corn starch until it thickens.  Add cherries after the juice thickens.

Cherry Cream Pie, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

vanilla pudding, look at all the vanilla caviar!

Cherry Cream Pie, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

Cherry Cream Pie, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

Cherry Cream Pie, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

Cherry Cream Pie, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

Strawberry Jello Cake

Strawberry Jello Cake, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

Strawberry Jello Cake
make 2 dozen cupcakes

1pkg white cake mix
3oz strawberry jello (wild if you can find it)

Put 3 ½ tbsp of jello powder in the cake mix and follow the directions on the box

Strawberry Frosting
www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,186,158172-247194,00.html

1 sticks butter
3 cups confectioners sugar (about 1 lb)
1/2 box of 10 oz frozen strawberries, thawed and chopped in food processor
1/2 tsp vanilla

Beat 1 stick butter until smooth. Add 1 pound confectioners sugar and half of strawberries. Beat until smooth and add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. If frosting is too thick, thin with a little milk or cream.

Strawberry Jello Cupcakes, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

Caramel for turtle bites

Turtle Bites, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

Caramels

1 Cup Cream
2 Cups Milk
1 Cup Corn Syrup
1 Teaspoon Salt
2 Cups Sugar
1/4 Cup Butter
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
(2 cups pecans chopped) if making turtles
12 oz semisweet chocolate chips

Prepare pan by buttering large pan and covering with chopped pecans.

In a large heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup and 1 cup cream. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir until smooth and blended, about 10 minutes.

Stir in milk. Bring to a boil over medium-low heat, stirring constantly. Cook and stir until a candy thermometer reads 238° (soft-ball stage), about 25 minutes.

Remove from the heat; Pour into prepared pan (do not scrape saucepan).

Melt 12 oz chocolate chips in microwave. Heat for 1 minute, stir and then heat for 10 seconds at a time until completely melted.

Cool. Cut into 1-in. squares. Wrap individually in waxed paper.

Yield: about 2-1/2 pounds.

Caramel for turtle bites, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

Chopped pecans for turtles, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

Turtle bites, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

Lemon Cupcake with Lemon Curd Filling and Cream Cheese Frosting

Lemon Cupcake with Lemon Curd Filling and Cream Cheese Frosting, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

Lemon Layer Cake
adapted from : smittenkitchen.com/2007/09/layered-lemon-love/

1-2-3-4 Cake
This cake gets its name from its proportion of ingredients: 1 cup butter and milk, 2 cups sugar, 3 cups of flour and 4 eggs, and from cupcakes to layers cakes, as a basic, white cake, it does not fail. Yield: 3 9-inch layers (for the purpose of this cake) or 24 cupcakes (good to know, eh?)

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 eggs (at room temperature)
3 cups sifted self-rising flour (sift before AND after measuring. Use a spoon to scoop flour into measuring cup)
1 cup milk (at room temperature)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 325°F (original recipe was 350). Using an electric mixer, cream butter until fluffy. Add sugar and continue to cream well for 6 to 8 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour and milk alternately to creamed mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Add vanilla and continue to beat until just mixed. Divide batter equally among prepared pans. Level batter in each pan by holding pan 3 or 4-inches above counter, then dropping flat onto counter. Do this several times to release air bubbles and assure you of a more level cake. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (start checking at 15 minutes if you are making cupcakes).

Lemon Curd
Adapted from The Joy of Cooking
From the Joy of Cooking: This makes a sensation filling for sponge rolls or an Angel Food Cake. You can also marble it into a cheesecake.
8 egg yolks
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
3 lemons, zest grated and juiced
Place the ingredients in the double boiler over boiling water. Don’t let top pan touch the water. Cook and stir until mixture begins to gel or thicken ever-so-slightly. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Cover and refrigerate it to thicken. This keeps, refrigerated, for about 1 week.

Cream Cheese Lemon Frosting (from Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook)
6 oz cream cheese (softened)
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 cup butter softened
4 1/2-3/4 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 tsp lemon zest

Beat cream cheese, lemon juice, and butter until light and fluffy, gradually add 2 cups sifted powdered sugar. Add remaining between 2 1/2 and 2 3/4 cups of powdered sugar and beat until spreading consistency. Add lemon zest and mix.

You can either hollow the cupcake and fill with cooled lemon curd, or poke holes in the top of the cupcake with a toothpick and let the curd soak into the cupcake before frosting it.

Optional, but delicious: press sweetened coconut flakes into the frosting.