October
KQED Kitchen, hosted by Kim Goodfriend, brings you
seasonal dessert and other baked good recipes that you can follow
step by step through online slideshows.
For October, Kim prepares Key Lime Pie. If you grew up in the South, then you have undoubtedly had Key Lime Pie. This recipe comes from Kim's grandmother who lived in Ft. Lauderdale and baked this pie every time she visited her. This is the perfect pie on a hot, late summer evening: light, citrus-y, creamy, and decadent.
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) very cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
3 tablespoons very cold vegetable shortening
5 tablespoons ice water
For the filling:
10-12 key limes (for 1/2 cup strained juice)
3 large eggs, separated
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup sugar
1 cup whole milk
1/4 cup flour
For the whipped cream topping:
1 pint heavy whipping cream
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Preparation:
To make the crust, in the bowl of a food processor or a medium mixing bowl, stir together the flour, salt, and sugar. Sprinkle the butter and shortening over the top and process for a few seconds, or just until the butter is slightly broken up into the flour but still in visible pieces. If making the dough by hand, cut the butter into the flour with a pastry blender or 2 table knives. Sprinkle the water over the flour mixture evenly, then process or stir until the mixture just started to come together. Dump the mixture out of the bowl onto 2 large sheets of plastic wrap. Press the dough together into a mound and then wrap with plastic and press into a flat disk. Refrigerate the dough to chill for 30 minutes or up to 1 day.
Preheat the oven to 375F. Have ready a 9-inch glass pie dish or metal pie pan.
Remove the chilled disk from the refrigerator and remove the plastic wrap. Place the disk on a lightly floured work surface and sprinkle a bit more flour on top of the disk. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough until it is 1/8-inch thick. When rolling, continue to sprinkle the work surface and top of the dough with flour and lift and turn the dough so that it does not stick and stays round. When the dough is about 12 inches across (use the pie dish to make sure it is large enough), roll the dough loosely around the rolling pin and unroll it over the dish. Make sure the dough round is centered in the pie dish. Gently lift the edge of the dough and press it into the pie dish, letting the extra dough hang over the side.
Using a small knife or kitchen scissors, trim the dough so that you have about 1/2 to 1 inch overhang. Fold the dough under itself on the dish rim. Using a fork or your fingers, crimp the dough. Line the dough with foil and fill the foil with dried beans or rice to weigh down the crust. Bake the pie shell for 20-25 minutes. Carefully remove the foil. If the foil sticks, return the pie shell to the oven for another five minutes. The shell should be just set and very lightly starting to brown.
To make the filling, while the pie shell is baking, juice the key limes. Strain the juice so that you have 1/2 cup total.
Separate the eggs. Put the whites into a medium mixing bowl, and the yolks into a small mixing bowl. Add the salt and cream of tartar to the egg whites. Beat the egg whites on high speed. When the egg whites have started to get very foamy, slowly add 1/4 cup of the sugar. Beat until the whites are at medium peak. Set aside.
Whisk together the egg yolks, lime juice, and milk. Stir together the remaining sugar and flour in a large mixing bowl. Whisk in the yolk mixture. Using a rubber spatula, fold the egg whites into the lime batter. Immediately pour the batter into the warm pie shell. Decrease the oven temperature to 350F. Bake the pie for 35-40 minutes until just set.
Let the pie cool completely on a cooling rack.
To make the whipped cream, in a large bowl, stir together the whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla. Beat until medium peak. Spread the whipped cream over the cooled pie and enjoy! This pie is best served the day it is baked but can be kept covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
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