Strawb Delight:

Strawberry Delight
Ingredients for the crust:
1 cup flour
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup melted butter
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
Pinch of salt

Ingredients for the filling:
2 cups of fresh strawberries, sliced in half
1/4 cup of brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons of lemon juice
2 egg whites
8 oz. of heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon of ground ginger
1 teaspoon of vanilla

Method:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Mix the crust ingredients and bake in a 9x13 pan for 20 minutes.

Stir the brown sugar into the sliced strawberries and let macerate at room temperature for half an hour or until juicy.

Beat the egg whites, lemon juice and sugar until light and fluffy. Then whip the cream until also light and fluffy and then stir into it the vanilla and ginger.

Add the strawberries to the whipped cream and then fold in the meringue.

Spread the fluffy strawberry filling over the crust, cover well and then freeze overnight or for at least six hours.

Before serving, let it thaw a bit and then cut into squares.

Strawberry Margarita Pie:

1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs from 9 (2 1/4- by 4 3/4-inch) crackers

2 tablespoons sugar

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 lb strawberries, halved (3 1/2 cups)

1 tablespoon finely grated fresh lime zest (from 3 limes)

1/4 cup fresh lime juice (from 2 limes)

1 (14-oz) can sweetened condensed milk

2 tablespoons tequila

2 tablespoons triple sec, Cointreau (or 2 TBL of juice from canned peaches)

1 1/2 cups chilled heavy cream


MAKE CRUST:
Put oven rack in middle position and 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 buttered 9-inch metal or glass pie plate (4-cup capacity).

Bake 10 minutes, then cool in pie plate on a rack, about 30 minutes.


MAKE FILLING:
Purée strawberries, zest, lime juice, condensed milk, tequila, and liqueur in a blender until just smooth, then transfer to a large bowl.

Beat cream in another bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until it just holds stiff peaks. Fold one third of cream into strawberry mixture gently but thoroughly to lighten, then fold in remainder in 2 batches.

Pour filling into crust, mounding it slightly, and freeze, uncovered, until firm, about 4 hours. Remove from freezer and let soften in refrigerator, about 40 minutes, before serving (pie should be semisoft).

Gourmet Magazine Notes: Pie can be frozen up to 3 days, covered with plastic wrap after 4 hours and then wrapped in heavy-duty foil. Pie can also be made in a 9-inch (24-cm) springform pan. Press crumb mixture onto bottom and 1 inch up side of pan.

Key Lime Pie:

Florida Pie



1 9-inch graham cracker crust
1 1/3 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups shredded sweetened coconut
4 large eggs, seperated
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup fresh Key lime juice (from about 5 regular limes)
1/4 cup of sugar


Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees . Line pie plate w/ parchment paper.

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.

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