You win some.....

and you lose some.

I wonder if Kurt Warner was saying this to himself on Monday after his team lost the Super Bowl championship to the Pittsburgh Steelers during that last 32 seconds of the game. I know I was certainly saying it to myself, seeing as how I placed a hefty bet on hunky Kurt and his team. My friend S. happens to be a Steelers fan so we placed a friendly wager on the game - loser had to bring dessert to dinner on Tuesday. Now, keep in mind that it was certainly plausible that the Cards would win the game right up until the last 32 seconds, so with about a minute or two left in the game I sent a text message to S. telling him to pick up a pint of Maggie Moo's Udderly Cream ice cream on his way to my house and don't be late because I don't like melted ice cream! Today, I come to you with a mouthful of crow. Whoever said it tasted like chicken is a big liar!

Eating crow is never any fun, but S. was a perfect gentleman and didn't gloat over his big win. He even shared his winnings with me, which made the crow much easier to swallow. When he showed up at my door on Tuesday evening, I greeted him with his favorite dessert....key lime pie.

Looking back through this blog, I can't believe that I haven't shared this recipe with you before. Lord knows I made it NUMEROUS times during my past life in the catering kitchen. It's creamy, delicious, and very tart. The kind of tart that makes my eyelids tingle when I eat it. You can cheat and make this with regular lime juice {I actually prefer it that way} but I knew S. was a key lime pie aficionado and could spot a counterfeit a mile away so I used Nellie & Joe's Key Lime Juice and I also used a bit of the left over whipped cream from this dessert for garnish. I love the addition of granola in the crust and the double layers of key lime and sweetened condensed milk make it oh so yummy!

Crow may not taste anything like chicken, but I'd bet again on a losing team just to be able to enjoy it with a slice of this pie!



Two Layer Key Lime Pie

for the crust:
3/4 cup plain granola (with no dried fruit)
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 6 whole crackers)
1/4 cup butter, melted
3 tablespoons sugar

for the first layer:
14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup Key lime juice (or regular lime juice)
3 large egg yolks

for the second layer:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup Key lime juice (or regular lime juice)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
lime zest & fresh whipped cream (optional)

to make the crust:
Preheat oven to 350.
Blend granola in a food processor or blender until coarsely ground.
Transfer granola to a bowl, and mix in graham cracker crumbs, butter, and sugar.
Press crumb mixture over the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate to form a crust.
Bake until golden brown, about 8 minutes.
Remove from oven and cool to room temperature.

to make the first layer:
Reduce oven temperature to 300.
Whisk together condensed milk, lime juice, and egg yolks in a bowl.
Pour into pie crust.
Bake until custard is set, about 15 minutes.
Cool to room temperature.

to make the second layer:
Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese with condensed milk, lime juice, and sugar in a large bowl.
Pour over custard layer and use a spatula to smooth the top.
Cover and chill until firm, at least 4 hours.
Garnish with whipped cream and sprinkle lime zest over the top, if desired.

makes 8 servings
source: Bon Appetit RSVP section - Keylime Bistro, Captiva Island Inn