This All American Key Lime Pie, taken from the latest issue of The Vine Magazine, was originally featured on Nick Coffer’s BBC 3 Counties Weekend Kitchen.
BBC 3 Counties Radio Weekend Kitchen
All American Key Lime Pie
Often the most popular editions of the Weekend Kitchen feature loads of cakes and bakes. Our recipes are tried, tested and wholly makeable at home, making them extremely popular with listeners.
This all-American key lime pie, created in July to mark American Independence Day by Bedford cake designer Charlotte White (www.restorationcake.com) is rather epic. The biscuit base is topped with a very limey centre and the whole thing is finished off with show-stopping Italian meringue. It is wonderfully over the top! To make it easier, you can completely ignore the meringue layer (it will still be delicious) or replace it with piped whipped cream.
For the Base
80g unsalted butter
250g chocolate chip cookies or digestive biscuits
Crush the biscuits thoroughly and stir them in melted butter until completely coated. Press the damp, sandy rubble into the bottom of a lined springform cake tin. Make sure that the biscuits are pressed into the very edges of the cake tin.
Bake at 150C/ gas mark 3 for 30 minutes and leave to cool.
For the Lime centre
Zest and juice of 5 limes
2 cans of condensed milk
8 egg yolks
½ tsp lime extract (optional)
green food colouring paste (optional)
Mix together all the ingredients and pour them onto the cooled base. Bake for 25-30 minutes until set on top and with a little wobble remaining. Allow to cool completely before topping – this will take at least 2 hours at room temperature (and can be done the day before for convenience).
For the Italian Meringue Topping
225g caster sugar
50ml water
4 egg whites
Place the egg whites (at room temperature) in a bowl.
Meanwhile, dissolve the sugar and water in a small saucepan and bubble to 118C over a high heat. It’s worth having a sugar thermometer here – they take the guess work out of the task and they needn’t be expensive.
Once the sugar reaches 100°C, whisk the egg whites on top speed until they hold stiff peaks. This should happen just as the sugar reaches 118°C.
Pour the hot sugar syrup into the egg whites whilst
the mixer is whisking – the syrup will incorporate quickly into the egg whites and a further
5 minutes of whisking is required to create
stiff, shiny peaks of meringue.
Pipe or spread meringue on top of your lime centre and finish with a flourish of flames from a chef’s blowtorch (or under a grill, although the effect is less dramatic). Alternatively whip up 300ml of double cream and pipe it on to the pie.
Hear more recipes on Nick Coffer’s Weekend Kitchen every Sunday morning on BBC Three Counties radio at 11am. You can also join Nick every weekday at midday for brilliant local guests with great stories to tell and all the music you want for your early afternoon.
Do you make the best apple pie or plum crumble in Central Bedfordshire? The Woodside Link Community Orchard needs your recipes!
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