TwD: It's Like Geology!

I am a brand new member of Tuesdays with Dorie. I'd been watching them for ages (because who doesn't like Dorie!) and I really wanted to get in on the fun!

What is Tuesdays at Dorie, you ask? Well, Laurie of Quirky Cupcake wanted a way to push herself to bake more, and to bake more specifically from Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home to Yours. She realized that there was no better way than to get a group together... because much like working out at the gym, sometimes you just need a push. Each week, a member selects the next recipe and the party starts anew. This week, Dianne chose the Florida Pie.

While I adore both key lime pie and coconut cream pie, I'd never had the two on a spoon at once. I don't know why, but I was a little nervous about the combination. Seriously, what was I thinking?? The tart lime layer combined beautifully with the coconut cream layer! I don't know how I'll ever be able to go back to single-flavor pie again! My favorite part is how it looks sliced in half. You have the older Coconut Cream Period, followed by the creamy Lime Age. We currently live in the Era of Meringue - and if you look closely, you can see teensy little coconut trilobites! Heh.

We are encouraged to make the recipes our own - so I opted to make mini-pies in large cupcake tins. I had a bit of a panic attack trying to get them out again, but suffered no broken pies. Only issue we did have with them miniaturized was that the bottom crust was thick and difficult to cut through. It didn't stop us, but it is worth noting. :)

This recipe isn't difficult in the slightest, but it isn't quick. The pies have to set in the freezer in various stages, so plan this dessert out in advance.


Florida Pie
c/o Baking: From My Home to Yours, by Dorie Greenspan
http://www.amazon.com/Baking-Home-Yours-Dorie-Greenspan/dp/0618443363

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.