Tuesday 13 May 2008

Put De Lime In De Coconut . . .





"Brother bought a coconut, he bought it for a dime
His sister had another one, she paid it for the lime

She put the lime in the coconut, she drank 'em both up
She put the lime in the coconut, she drank 'em both up
She put the lime in the coconut, she drank 'em both up

Put the lime in the coconut, she called the doctor, woke him up, and said

Doctor, ain't there nothin' I can take,
I saidDoctor, to relieve this bellyache,
I saidDoctor, ain't there nothin' I can take,
I saidDoctor, to relieve this bellyache"
~Harry Nilsson

Ok, now that I have you all groovin and swingin around the kitchen to a snappy calypso beat, it's time to talk about this week's Tuesdays With Dorie challenge, and if you are thinking it must have something to do with limes and coconuts and palm trees, then you would be correct! This weeks recipe was Florida Pie as chosen by Dianne of Dianne’s Dishes .



Mmmm . . . lime and coconut, two of my most favouritest of flavours, all rolled up into one delicious Pie! What could be more delicious!



The recipe did present a challenge for me on several levels. One, you cannot get pre-made graham cracker pie crusts over here in England, and, in fact . . . . you cannot get graham crackers over here, and two, you cannot get flaked sweetened coconut, except at a premium price from a company that sells imported American products.

I could have made my own graham crust using a graham pastry that I have used several times in the past for blueberry tarts, but I wanted to stay as true to the recipe as I could, and so I did what I always do when it comes to having to use graham crackers that I just don't have. I used Digestive Biscuits. They always work perfectly and are the best substitution. Thankfully I did have a small store of sweetened coconut and I was very grateful that I did, so with those two problems solves it was full steam ahead!



This was such a lovely recipe. The digestive crust was very easy to do, as were the coconut cream and the filling. I reckon it took me about 10 minutes to reduce the cream and coconut to what I felt was the proper consistency. A timing in the recipe would have been helpful for this, as I was never quite sure really if I had reduced it enough, but I took a chance and went with it anyways!

The lime filling was probably one of the easiest fillings I have ever made for a pie and was indeed very similar to some lemon squares that I make sometimes at Christmas. Quick as a wink, I had the pie baking in the oven and then out on the counter cooling for a bit before freezing it and doing the meringue.



Now I am not a real fan of cooked meringue, and so I decided after reading the recipe through, to go with making meringue the old fashioned way, and the way I have always done it, and my mother before me . . . by just beating my egg whites with the sugar until stiff. It's always worked for me, and it's lovely and soft, which is the way both Todd and myself like our meringue. I have also never been fond of the look that blow torches give to meringues either, all kind of burnt and blackened. I just think meringue looks so much better if you just lightly brown it alal over in a hot oven, and so that's what I did. I also sprinkled some of my precious store of flaked coconut on top of the meringue so it would dress if up a bit! I thought it turned out lovely! (Because I did a traditional meringue, I was a teeny bit afraid to stick it into the freezer for the required time at the end, and so I just chilled it in the refrigerator and it turned out picture perfect!)



All in all, I thought this was a lovely recipe that I will make again. It was just sweet enough without being over the top and I loved the delicious flavours of the coconut and lime combined. We ate it yesterday afternoon, sitting out at our picnic table and basking in the warm sunshine of an English spring day. Todd enjoyed his every mouthful as did I, and I do confess to digging my fork into it several more times before I fell into bed last night . . . just to check like . . .you know . . . to see how it was holding up . . . ummm . . . more checking may be required this morning!

Psssttt!!! I used light sweetened condensed milk so fork digging is allowed!

Don 't forget to pop on over to the Tuesdays With Dorie page to see all the other lovely entries for this weeks challenge. Next week Tara of Smells Like Home has chosen…
Traditional Madeleines. I have never made Madeleines from scratch, so I'm looking forward to that!



*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, seperated
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.

48 comments:

  1. Looks YUM, to say the least.

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  2. Ha! You made good with the Nilsson song. Great looking pie. I love digestive biscuits, but can't get them here. They sound like they made a good pie crust.

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  3. that is one good-looking piece of pie! i used the light condensed milk, too and it worked great.

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  4. That pie looks really yummy! Good pictures too!

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  5. Bummer about the stuff you can't get. It is easy for those of us in the states to take that for granted. Pie turned out beautifully.

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  6. Unfortunately I didn't find light sweetened condensed milk...

    Your pie looks appetizing! I think it was refreshing on the sunny spring days we had the last week

    Ulrike from Küchenlatein

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  7. Gee your making my sweet tooth ache...and it's only 10am! I haven't heard the lime in the coconut song in ages, now I think I need to give it a good listen. Also, I can come for dinner almost any time apart from this sunday. I am free on the weekends, sunday's are generally the best day for me but saturdays work too sometimes! Whatever is best for you, and thanks for the invitation!! I am very, VERY excited!

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  8. I laughed out loud when I read your title because I have to admit that I have had that song in my head since I started making this pie tonight.....and wondered if anyone else had that song running over and over in their head as well. Your pictures made my mouth water...my pie is freezing now, just a few more minutes until I can cut into it!

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  9. I love coconut cream pie. It's one of my Daddy's favorites and he got me hooked on it a year or so ago.

    Maybe I can teach the babies the coconut dance.

    Oh, and I'm still working on the first story to send you! Just wanted you to know I haven't forgotten! I just don't want to send it to you unedited/ refined.

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  10. Lime and coconut...my favorites too! This pie is splendid, Marie...Delicious! I can almost taste it now...Happy Day, sweet friend ((BIG HUGS))

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  11. We sang that song when we made our pie! Great looking pie looks delicious!

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  12. Great job especially with all the complications...I feel your pain, I lived overseas for 6 years total and finding what I need was a great source of frustration, BUT I have learned some master improv skills in the process. Lovely pie!

    Carrie

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  13. Beautiful! Your meringue looks like a puffy cloud - so very light and fluffy!

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  14. Gorgeous pie and your meringue looks like turned out perfectly!

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  15. Oooh Marie! Put de lime in de coconut indeed!!! That looks sooooooo good. Anytime you need something like coconut, give me a holler! I would gladly send you some.

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  16. Your meringue looks picture perfect. Lovely! Nina @ Love Sweet Love

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  17. Way to improvise! Your pie looks fabulous. Great job!
    Clara @ I♥food4thought

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  18. Dorie's book does sometimes skip over telling you the cooking times when I think they should be there. Nice pie! I like the idea of sprinkling the coconut on top.

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  19. Hahaha - I had the same song stuck in my head the whole time I made this. Great job on your pie!

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  20. lovely pie, the meringue looks great!

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  21. Great job! It looks awesome!

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  22. Fearless Kitchen13 May 2008 at 16:28

    This is really interesting. I like how you used the biscuits in place of the graham crackers. I had no idea that they were so hard to get outside North America - we really kind of take them for granted.

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  23. yum! Your pie looks so delicious! Great job!

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  24. Wonderful looking pie! I will never eat graham crackers and take them for granted. You are very resourceful with your substitutions.

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  25. It looks beautiful...I'd like to stick my fork in to it, as well!

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  26. I'm always impressed with the ladies who don't have access to all of the ingredients. Impressive!

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  27. I never would have thought of adding coconut to key lime pie! Guess I know what I'll do with my leftover coconut (besides coconut almond cookies for Andrew's class this week)!

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  28. I've often wondered what Graham Crackers are but like everyone else in UK amke do with digestives. I'm not showing Keith this recipe - I'll be worn out!
    love, Angie, xx

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  29. Oh! how I love meringue Mmmmm The recipe looks delicious Marie.What nicer that to stuff our faces with lots of this Mmmm out in the sunshine he-he.I love coconut and lime too.So this is certainly a winner with me.Take Care God Bless Kath astoriasand http://journals.aol.co.uk/astoriasand/MYSIMPLERHYMES

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  30. Oh, Marie! Okay, I have to make the full pie. Yours looks perfect! I want to run to my fridge and have a spoonful of mine. :)

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  31. Marie, did you just use regular limes? Or is there a shop that sells key limes here in the UK, I've never seen them anywhere?

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  32. I just had a delicious coconut cream pie over the weekend. This does look very tempting Marie:D

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  33. I just had a delicious coconut cream pie over the weekend. This does look very tempting Marie:D

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  34. beautiful! way to make do with what you have on hand. i'm so jealous of how fluffy your meringue looks!

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  35. Beautiful pie! Your meringue looks just gorgeous!

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  36. Looks delicious. I love what you did with it. But, I am sorry about the ingredients. Do I see a care package in your future? hmmmm

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  37. A lovely looking pie and you are so ingenious when lacking the called for ingredients. Now if I could just get some Violet Crumbles and Tim Tams locally! I envy those in larger metro areas. I never realized the UK did not have the ingredients we take for granted.

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  38. Your meringue looks perfect!

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  39. yum! I didnt get the time to make this this week but you have inspired me to try it another time!

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  40. Glad that you found this easy to put together! Great job with you pie!

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  41. I can practically taste that pie! Mmmmmmm.

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  42. LOL!!! I absolutely love that song, you're hilarious! Your pie looks delicious! I can totally commiserate with you on the subject of sweetened flaked coconut, it's impossible to get over here. My parents just sent me a goodie box for my impending birthday with that, as well as some other American goodies, like Baker's Joy baking spray and cake flour, soooo excited!

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  43. I had never heard of cooked meringue and made mine the same way you did. Your pie looks fabulous! I'm glad you enjoyed it. :)

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  44. That's a great song. I started singing it as soon as I read your title.
    Your pictures are making my mouth water.!!
    It looks delicious.
    Hugs
    Carolxx

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  45. Picture perfect is right - what an absolutely gorgeous pie!!

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  46. Send me your address!! I will send you some graham crackers and coconut.
    Life should not be lived without graham crackers!! :)

    XX
    E
    (Seriously...send me your address!!)

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