would you like a recipe for lime marmalade pie?

our lime tree is now five years old...and, like our other trees, is producing a prodigious amount of beautifully scented, amazing tasting fruit. there is something fitting about limes, mandarin oranges and my beloved meyer lemon trees coming into season in the middle of december...and fruiting until almost march. when it is cold, grey and rainy...the smell and taste really help brighten the mood.

but...back to the amount of limes...can i just say tons? more than i can use and give away? so...the past few weeks have been spent experimenting with different and unusual ways to preserve the bounty. we always freeze a lot of lime juice to use throughout the year...and my recipe for lime margaritas sweetened with agave has become a oft requested favorite.(right mary and terry?) i have made meyer lemon marmalade for years...started selling it last winter and sold out by mid-summer...decided to try lime marmalade this year...what a hit! the marmalade is delicious and so i then experimented with lime & jalapeño marmalade...wow! instant best seller on the website and at studio-store...so many people asked for ideas as to how to use that i started creating recipes to send with each purchase.

i love the tart taste of the lime marmalade and thought it would be amazing in desserts. i found a million recipes for key lime pie...and they looked really good but quite sweet....so i decided to riff on that idea with a lime marmalade pie for something a bit different. i made one for peter topped with macadamia nuts...he ate the whole pie in a couple of sittings. a few days later we invited some friends over for a tree trimming party...i made another pie...and this time i added rum-soaked cranberries to the top of the meringue for color, taste...and just because the red was so "christmasy". caitlin said, "i don't usually like key lime pies, but this is delicious!" the real test was richard who told me key lime pie was his favorite dessert... oh no! this not a typical key lime pie...much more tart, so i was a bit worried...but he ate every bite, said he loved it AND took 2 pieces home....i consider that a success.

oh...about the pie photo...this is the first pie i made...of course i forgot to shoot the cranberry topped one...i am so sorry...it really was beautiful :)

so give the pie a chance...try our lime marmalade or use your favorite brand. if you cannot find it in your area, you can try substituting 1/2 cup key lime or regular lime juice with 1 tbsp lime zest...but really...if you can...use marmalade...makes all the difference...

lime marmalade pie1 1/4 c organic graham cracker crumbs
2 tbsp organic sugar
7 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
4 large eggs, divided
1 can (14 oz) organic sweetened condensed milk
1 jar (7 oz) lime marmalade

meringue ingredients

1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp cream of tarter
1/4 cup organic sugar

1/2 cup macadamia nuts
1/4 cup fresh cranberries mixed with 2 tbsp sugar and soaked in 1/3 cup spiced rum-optional

preheat oven to 375 degrees. in a small bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs with the sugar. pour in 6 tbsp of the melted butter and mix together (i use a fork for this) until the butter in incorporated. test the mixture by pinching a bit between your thumb and forefinger. it should hold together...if not, add the remaining 1 tbsp butter and mix. pat the mixture into a buttered 9 inch pie plate ensuring the bottom and sides are covered. refrigerate for 30 minutes.

meanwhile, in the bowl of a stand mixer, add the egg yolks and beat for 4 minutes using the wire whisk attachment. add the condensed milk and the lime marmalade and beat until the mixture is airy and thick...about 5 minutes. pour into graham cracker crust and bake until the filling is set (check after 15 minutes). remove from oven and set on wire rack.

make meringue by pouring the 4 egg whites, vanilla extract and cream of tarter into a very clean stainless steel bowl of a standing mixer. use the whisk attachment and beat until soft peaks form...add the sugar and beat again until stiff peaks form. spread the meringue on top of the pie while the pie is still warm and allow to cool. (note...i do not bake my meringue because i love the pure white look...but i always use organic eggs since they are not cooked in the meringue recipe. if you want, you can bake the pie for another 10 minutes once the meringue has been added...some people love the caramel color....so do whatever works for you.)

just before serving, toast the macadamia nuts in a dry skillet...stirring contantly...until just beginning to brown. sprinkle the nuts and the cranberries (if using) over the meringue and serve.

how is all of your holiday cooking and baking coming along? please tell me what you are making in the comments section of this post...

happy holidays!

best,

diane

napafarmhouse1885.com

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