Cuban Key Lime Pie Recipes

KEY LIME PIE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Combine graham-cracker crumbs, butter, and 3 tablespoons sugar in a medium bowl; mix well. Press into a 9-inch pie plate, and bake until lightly browned, about 12 minutes. Remove from oven, and transfer to a wire rack until completely cooled.
• Lower oven to 325 degrees. In a medium bowl, gently whisk together condensed milk, egg yolks, Key lime juice, and zest. Pour into the prepared, cooled crust.
• Return pie to oven, and bake until the center is set but still quivers when the pan is nudged, 15 to 17 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
• Shortly before serving, combine cream and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk on medium speed until soft peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Spoon over cooled pie; garnish with zest. Serve immediately.

KEY LIME PIE

Steps:

• Make crust:
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Stir together graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter in a bowl with a fork until combined well, then press mixture evenly onto bottom and up side of a 9-inch (4-cup) glass pie plate.
• Bake crust in middle of oven 10 minutes and cool in pie plate on a rack. Leave oven on.
• Make filling and bake pie:
• Whisk together condensed milk and yolks in a bowl until combined well. Add juice and whisk until combined well (mixture will thicken slightly).
• Pour filling into crust and bake in middle of oven 15 minutes. Cool pie completely on rack (filling will set as it cools), then chill, covered, at least 8 hours.
• Make topping:
• Just before serving, beat cream in a bowl with an electric mixer until it just holds stiff peaks. Serve pie topped with cream.
• *Available at Manhattan Key Lime (212-696-5378).

MOJITO (CUBAN RUM LIME SPRITZER)

Steps:

• Wash and stem the mint leaves, reserving 6 whole sprigs for garnish. Place the mint leaves in the bottom of a sturdy pitcher and add the sugar. Mash the mint leaves and sugar together, using the tip of a wooden spoon -- this extracts the mint oils. Add the lime juice and rum and stir until the sugar is dissolved. The recipe can be made several hours ahead to this stage. However, expect some discoloring in the mint leaves if you make the mojitos more than 20 minutes ahead.
• Just before serving, add the club soda and gently stir to mix. Partially fill 6 highball glasses with ice. Add the mojito mixture and garnish each glass with a sprig of fresh mint.

CUBAN GUAVA AND LIME MERINGUE PIE

Steps:

• 1. For the pastry, blend the butter cubes and flour into small crumbs quickly so the butter stays cold. In a separate small bowl, combine egg yolks with 2 tsbs. water, then blend into flour crumbs until pastry reached right consistency -- this may require a few more drope of water blended into the pastry.
• 2. Roll out cold pastry on floured surfce and place on to pie tin. Then refridgerate foir 30 minutes.
• 3. Prick the bottom of pastry pie bottom and heat oven to 200c/180c fan /gas 6 nad blind bake for 15 minutes (my grandmother did not use parchemnt paper or beans to keep the pastry from rising.she just pricked the pastry several times right before putting it in the oven.).
• 4. For the filling, slowly heat guava paste, 2 tablespoons of water, sugar and lime juice for until just blended. Remove from heat.
• 5. Add butter and beaten whole egg and egg yolks to pan. Heat at medium, stirring vigorously for a few minutes until blended and then set the filling aside in the refridgerator.
• 6. For the meringue, whisk egg whites into stiff peaks, slowly add sugar, whisking as you add a bit at a time. Finally whisk in the corn flour until you have thick glossy peaks.
• 7. Pour the filling in the pastry case, followed by the meringue. Bake for 18 -20 minutes until the meringue is crisp and slightly coloured. Let the pie sit for at least an hour before serving.

CUBAN KEY LIME PIE

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-10″ pie pan with non-stick cooking spray.
• 2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cracker crumbs and melted butter until the mixture holds together. Fill the prepared pan with the crumb mixture and press into the bottom and sides of the pan to form the crust. If necessary, use a measuring cup to level the bottom and sides. Bake 10-12 minutes until lightly browned. Remove from oven and set aside to cool completely.
• 3. Beat the egg yolks on medium-high until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed and slowly add the condensed milk then the Key lime juice until well incorporated. Mix in lime zest, if using. Pour the mixture into the pie crust.
• 4. If using meringue topping - increase oven temp to 375ºF. Mound meringue on top of filling, making sure to go up to the edges. Bake until lightly browned - check after a few minutes. Cool and serve.
• 5. If using whipped cream topping - whip cream with a few drops vanilla extract. Mound on top of chilled pie. Serve.
• 6. NOTE - to speed things up, used a pre-made graham cracker crust.