TWD - Florida Pie

This week’s TWD selection is Florida Pie chosen by Dianne of Dianne’s Dishes. I can’t tell you how much I love citrus desserts, especially lime. Unfortunately for me, Eddie does not. So, usually lime desserts don’t get made in my house because I am not about to eat the entire thing. Well, I could eat the entire thing, but by thighs wouldn’t thank me in the morning.
This weekend was Mother’s Day… a perfect reason to make Florida Pie and share it with the rest of my family.
This recipe was super easy and I would recommend it to any pie novice or expert. It took a little while to make, but most of that time was freezing the pie for various steps. The one interesting aspect of this pie is that in making the meringue the egg whites and sugar were heated on the stove before whipping them with a mixer. As usual, Dorie was spot on. The meringue was light and delicious, and the addition of coconut gave it great texture.
Needless to say, the pie was a huge hit. I had to beat off my family to get a few pictures for the blog before it was devoured. The coconut cream was divine and the lime filling was so fresh and light. I couldn’t find key limes. It took about 4 regular limes to get the half cup of lime juice necessary. Again, for any novice citrus users… ONLY USE FRESH LIME JUICE. When I first began to really learn to cook I always kept those little plastic bottles of lime and lemon juice in the fridge. I mean come on, how different can the fresh stuff be? Plenty different. The taste just cannot compare. So, if you find yourself making this pie only to realize you don’t have enough lime juice, the trip to the grocery store for fresh limes is worth it.
Okay, enough preaching. Just go out and make this pie. And please go check out the results from my fellow TWD bakers.



Florida Pie

1 9-inch graham cracker crust (page 235), fully baked and cooled, or a store-bought crust
1 1/3 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups shredded sweetened coconut
4 large eggs, separated
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup fresh Key (or regular) lime juice (from about 5 regular limes)
1/4 cup of sugar

Getting Ready:

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Put the pie plate on a baking sheet lined with parchment of a silicone mat.

Put the cream and 1 cup of the coconut in a small saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium-low heat, stirring almost constantly. Continue to cook and stir until the cream is reduced by half and the mixture is slightly thickened. Scrape the coconut cream into a bowl and set it aside while you prepare the lime filling.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl beat the egg yolks at high speed until thick and pale. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in the condensed milk. Still on low, add half of the lime juice. When it is incorporated, add the reaming juice, again mixing until it is blended. Spread the coconut cream in the bottom of the graham cracker crust, and pour over the lime filling.

Bake the pie for 12 minutes. Transfer the pie to a cooling rack and cool for 15 minutes, then freeze the pie for at least 1 hour.

To Finish the Pie with Meringue:

Put the 4 egg whites and the sugar in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan and heat over medium-low heat, whisking all the while, until the whites are hot to the touch. Transfer the whites to a stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, or use a hand mixer in a large bowl, and beat the whites at high speed until they reach room temperature and hold firm peaks. Using a rubber spatula, fold the remaining 1/2 cup coconut into the meringue.

Spread the meringue over the top of the pie, and run the pie under the broiler until the top of the meringue is golden brown. (Or, if you've got a blowtorch, you can use it to brown the meringue.) Return the pie to the freezer for another 30 minutes or for up to 3 hours before serving.