Florida Pie

For this week’s Tuesdays with Dorie, Dianne of Dianne’s Dishes chose the recipe ‘Florida Pie’ from Dorie Greenspan’s book ‘Baking from my Home to Yours’.

I never heard of Florida Pie before although the recipe ingredients seem to be similar to those of the Key Lime Pie. I was not sure if the combination of coconut, lime juice and coconut was going to be a family favourite, but so far they have all like the TWD desserts I have made.

To make the coconut cream, I used 1 cup of cream instead of 1 1/3 and 1 cup of unsweetened coconut instead of the sweetened coconut. I made the graham crust with 2 instead of 3 tablespoons of sugar. For the filling, I used the juice of 5 regular limes.

Once assembled, I placed the pie in the freezer and made the meringue a couple of days later. I did not add any coconut to the meringue. Since I didn’t have a blow torch (my family was relieved as they didn’t think that a blow torch in my hands would be a good thing), I piled the meringue on the pie and placed it under the broiler. I turned away for what seemed a minute and I could smell something burning!

Oh no, I thought, not another ‘alarm company phoning for the fire trucks again!’ I pulled out the pie just as the tips were beginning to burn!. I sprinkled icing sugar on the pie and hoped for the best.

Last night was ‘taste night’.

My daughter liked it because she could taste the coconut cream.

My husband thought I could have used a bit more lime juice and proceeded to sing the song “Put the lime in the coconut…”by Harry Nilsson.

Since I never tasted Key Lime Pie, I had nothing to compare it to although I found it a a bit too rich and sweet.

Will I make it again, probably not, but I am glad I did. Thanks for choosing this recipe Dianne otherwise I probably would not have given it a try. Take a look at the other TWD bakers version of this pie.

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.