Key Lime Pie with Nut - Graham Crumb Crust

The best key lime pie I have ever tried, the crust is amazing too.

Crust
1c graham cracker crumbs
2/3 cup almonds or macadamia nuts, toasted, cooled and ground in a food processor till about the diameter of a pencil lead.
1/2 stick (1/4c) butter, melted and cooled
1/4 cup sugar

Pie
3 large eggs, separated, the whites at room temperature
1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup Key lime juice (approx 3-4 Key limes)
grated rind of two of the limes

Meringue:
1/3 cup sugar
reserved egg whites

[I like this both with the egg white meringue or omitting the meringue and just using whipped cream instead]


Mix the crust ingredients well and press into a glass pie plate, going up the sides. Bake the shell at 350 for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove and let cool.

In a large bowl, beat the yolks with the condensed milk and stir in the remaining ingredients. Spoon filling into baked shell.

If making the meringue: place uncooked pie into the refrigerator for 1 hour. In a bowl beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they hold soft peaks, add the sugar, beating, 1 tablespoon at a time, and beat the meringue until it holds stiff peaks. Spread the meringue over the filling and bake the pie in the middle of a preheated 350'F oven for 15 minutes, or until the meringue is just golden. Chill the pie for 2 hours.

If making without the meringue: Chill pie for 1 hour and then bake at 350' for 15 minutes. Chill and then top with fresh whipped cream.


[recipe adapted from Gourmet 1990]

Solid Gold Chocolate Pecan Pie

This pie is so delicious and easy to make that you'll never make chocolate cream pie from Jello pudding ever again. If you're really inspired you can make your own pie crust. I don't.

1 9-inch pie crust
1 cup milk chocolate chips
2/3 cup corn syrup
1/3 cup sugar
3 large eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup coarsely chopped pecan pieces
1/2 cup chopped bittersweet chocolate
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Slightly sweetened whipped cream

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Weight pie crust with beans or pie weights and bake 12-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool.

In the top of a double boiler, gently melt the chocolate chips over almost simmering water. Remove from heat. In a large bowl, combine the melted chocolate with corn syrup, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and pecans. Pour into the cooled pie crust and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack.

Place half of the chopped bittersweet chocolate in a small bowl. Place the remaining bittersweet chocolate and the oil in the top of a double boiler. Heat the chocolate, whisking, until melted. Pour the melted chocolate over the chocolate in the bowl, whising to melt. Pour over the warm pie, spreading to the edges to coat the top. Refrigerate until well chilled, at least 2 hours.

When serving, garnish each slice with a dollop of whipped cream.