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A tart but sweet Shavuot

Key Lime Pie

Key Lime Pie

We couldn’t let Shavuot come and go without sharing with you our favorite cheesecake recipes. Despite everything we’ve written about going savory or, the really important part, remembering the spiritual aspects of the holiday, Shavuot just isn’t Shavuot without a calorie-laden, decadent cheesecake.

As in past years, we’ve opted to make a Sicilian cheesecake, which combines ricotta with mascarpone for a (only slightly) less fattening version, but for the purists out there, the classic Junior’s recipe is the way forward.

Lest we become repetitive, we’ve added a new dessert to this year’s menu, which for some unknown reason has until now been conspicuously absent from Shavuot menus. We’re talking about Key Lime Pie, a creamy dairy dessert not altogether different from cheesecake, but much much easier to make and quite a bit more tart. If you any of you are wondering where to get key limes, we have to admit to using regular old Persian limes, but if you have a look around your local supermarket you may find bottled key lime juice — which will also save you the squeezing.

(Key) Lime Pie

From Cooks Illustrated and Emeril Lagasse

Ingredients

Crust

  • 1 1/2 C gingersnap crumbs, ground in a food processor from gingersnap cookies
  • 2 T sugar
  • 4 T butter, melted
  • dash of cinnamon

Filling

  • 1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1/2 cup fresh lime juice, strained
  • 4 egg yolks
  • a bit of grated lime zest

Topping

  • 1 C sour cream
  • 2 T powdered sugar
  • 1 T lime zest

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Pulse the ground gingersnaps, sugar and cinnamon in a food processor. In a mixing bowl combine with butter. Press the crumbs evenly over the bottom and up the sides of a buttered tart pan. Bake for 15 minutes. Allow to cool for another 15 minutes.
  2. Whisk together the egg yolks and condensed milk and then the lime juice and zest. Pour the filling into the crust and bake for 15 minutes. Cool at room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
  3. Mix together the ingredients for the topping and spread with a spatula on cooled tart. Serve chilled.



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