A Trip to Florida for Tuesdays with Dorie!

It's my first Tuesday as a TWD member and I couldn't have been more happier with the choice! Dianne of Dianne's Dishes was the lucky picker of the week and chose Florida Pie. At first, when reading the recipe it sound like it was going to be reminiscent of Key Lime Pie, but with a hint of coconut, and I must say I was wrong. While the pie does have a lime cream center, the most amazing, and my most favorite, part of the pie was the coconut cream base. I reminded me a lot, which is also Dorie's description, of the filling in an Almond Joy or Mounds candy bar...can you say YUM!



Seeing as how I am still adjusting to my new apartment I have not yet been able to invest in a food processor (hopefully next week) so I used a store bought graham cracker pie crust. I was surprised at how quickly this pie comes together and how quickly it made me want to get in my bathing suit and eat it while lounging in a beach chair.



Some people really believe that food can take you places, and I am one of those people. A few years ago I went to Jamaica, and this pie totally took me back! Back to the smoldering, sweaty heat, but the refreshing taste of something like Florida Pie quickly cooling down your body. I hear the little Jamaican girls surrounding me in the shallow, lapping waves, asking me why my hair is so different than theirs. Following me around the beach just in awe of my nationality and differences.



When food can give you that kind of feeling, you know it's a keeper. I can't wait to share this pie with my family and see where it takes them!



P.S. - I was super stoked to be able to use my little blow torch for the first time :)

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, separated
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.