This is one of my favorite cookbooks for baking with seasonal fruits. Pastry Chef Nicole Rucker is a James Beard Award semi-finalist, and one of the most acclaimed pastry chefs in Los Angeles. The chef writes a story of how one of her restaurants was having a troubled time when a famed food critic from the LA Times wrote of how much he loved a lime pie from the restaurant. The publicity from his article brought in so many people to buy the pie, it helped save the restaurant. You’ll learn why if you make this luscious pie, which came to be known as “The Lime Pie that Saved Us.”
How gorgeous is this pie?! It tastes as good as it looks.
If this pie is any indication of what else is in store to make, I’m ready to start baking. This is the time of the year for fruit desserts with Spring berries and rhubarb and the abundance of summer fruits like peaches coming soon, and down the road, winter citrus. There are recipes for cookies, pies, galettes, tarts, cakes, puddings, cobblers, crisps, ice cream, sorbets, jams, and more.
One of my first to make will be a rhubarb coffee cake made with Greek yogurt topped with a browned butter streusel. Our Farmer’s Market in town opens soon where I will find some beautiful rhubarb. Strawberries will also be in abundance to make a strawberry-red wine jam, and the Swedish cream buns with strawberries and cardamom. One berry I love to find at our Farmer’s Market is black raspberries which don’t show up for very long so I always grab them right away. This time I want to try a rich black raspberry ice cream that is made with whole and evaporated milks and crème fraiche.
All I can say is that if you love baking with fresh fruits you will love this cookbook. It has everything.
- 1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 2 Tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1 Tablespoon freshly grated lime zest
- ½ cup fresh lime juice (from about 6-8 medium limes)
- 1 cup cold heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup sour cream
- Garnish: Some extra grated lime zest and graham cracker crumbs
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, salt, and melted butter in a mixing bowl and mix until moist crumbs form. Transfer the crumb mixture to a 9-1/2-inch pie plate and press onto the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Bake for 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Allow the crust to cool completely. Leave the oven on.
- Combine the condensed milk, egg yolks, lime zest, and lime juice in a large mixing bowl. Whisk until egg yolks have been incorporated and the zest is speckled throughout the mixture.
- Transfer the lime filling to the cooled crust. Bake the pie until the filling is set at the edges and the center wobbles slightly when touched, about 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for at least 2 hours before continuing.
- To finish pie, in the bowl of electric mixer fitted with whisk attachment, combine the heavy cream and sour cream. Beat on medium speed until defined peaks form, about 3-4 minutes.
- Pile the whipped cream on top of the pie and swirl and swoosh it to your liking. Refrigerate the pie for at least 3 hours before serving. Sprinkle top of pie lightly with extra lime zest and graham cracker crumbs. Cut into wedges to serve.
The day you sent this message I was having new neighbors for dinner. I took my chances and made this for dessert. In fact, I tripled it and made 2 pies for the neighbors next door whose family was visiting from our of town. RAVE reviews!! Everyone loved it! I was a bit apprehensive making the top cream layer with no sugar but it was perfect! Thank you for sharing it. I’ve now got the book in my collection!
Roseanne, I’m so glad it was well-received! Thank you for writing. I think you will love the book.