Lime Meringue Pie

When I first began to bake, I loved making a few citrus tarts and pies like this one! They turned any dark wintery day, into summer.

The bright citrus flavors, paired with the sweet condensed milk and a graham cracker crust, creates the perfect balance and also an incredibly easy to make dessert. 

As much as I love eating and baking cakes, I find that sometimes a lighter dessert like this is the way to go, especially in the summer! As the summer is going by so quickly, I am taking advantage of catching some rays by the pool and enjoying a piece of this refreshing pie - best served chilled. Also, if you are looking for a quick recipe to make for a BBQ get together, this is the one! It’ll keep your guests cool and going back for seconds. 

 The meringue topping adds a decorative and elegant touch to this pie. I used a blow torch, but if you do not have one, placing your pie under the broiler for a few minutes will create the same effect.

---

Ingredients 

Crust

• 10 full graham cracker sheets

• 3-4 tablespoons granulated sugar

• Pinch of salt

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling

• 6 egg yolks, reserve 2 egg-whites for meringue 

• 2 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

• 1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

• 1 tablespoon lime zest

•  Pinch of kosher salt

Meringue Topping

• 2 egg-whites

• 3/4 cup of granulated sugar

• Pinch of kosher salt

Recipe

Crust 

1. Preheat your oven to 350° F. In a food processor, pulse the graham crackers until they are fine crumbs. Add the melted butter and pulse to combine.

2. Press the graham cracker crumb mixture into a 9-inch pie plate. Bake the crust 10-12 minutes, until golden and fragrant. Once it's done, take it out of the oven and allow to cool. 

Filling

1. While the crust cools, prepare the filling. 

2. Separate the 6 eggs. Add the egg yolks to a bowl, reserve 2 egg-whites for the meringue. Add the sweetened condensed milk, lime juice, zest and a pinch of salt. 

3. Using an electric mixter, beat until all the ingredients are all combined. 

4. Pour mixture into prepared crust, and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the center is just slightly jiggly. 

5. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack. Once the pie is cooled, cover and chill for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator or overnight.

Meringue Topping

1. While the pie is chilling, prepare the meringue mixture.

2. In a stand mixer, whisk the egg whites, sugar, and salt in the bowl. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, and whisk the mixture until the sugar has dissolved and is hot. 

3.  Transfer the bowl to the standing mixer and beat at medium-high speed for about 2 minutes then increase speed to high and beat until mixture is stiff.

4. Scrape the meringue into a pastry bag fitted with a star tip and pipe a ring around the perimeter of the tart or spoon it over the tart and spread with an offset spatula.

5. Using a culinary torch, hold the torch about a few inches away from the tart, brown the meringue lightly. Alternatively, place the tart in a preheated broiler, watching it carefully, as it will brown very quickly.

Vanilla layered Berry Cake

Unlike most food holidays, the Fourth of July is a day that tends to sneak up on us. People usually resort to their usual BBQ selection with classic potato salads, and ice cream for dessert. This year, on the other hand, I will not let the day go by without preparation; which begins now with some prideful recipes like this Vanilla layered Berry Cake!

Dessert is especially overlooked at BBQ's because it is hot and let's face it, who wants to be indoors when the fun's outside. Over the years I have come to realize that if you go the extra mile to prepare a wonderfully delicious dessert in advance, 9/10 people will eat it and appreciate you for turning on those ovens in 80° weather!

This layered cake is spongy, light, and the perfect canvas for the whipped cream cheese frosting and berries!

---

Ingredients 

Vanilla Cake 

• 3 and 2/3 cups cake flour

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 and 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

• 2 cups granulated sugar

• 3 large eggs, room temperature

• 2 egg whites, room temperature

• 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract 

• 1 and 1/2 cups buttermilk, at room temperature

Heavy Cream Frosting 

• 1 cup powdered sugar

• 4 oz. cream cheese

• 2 3/4 cups heavy cream, cold

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

• 2 tsp. vanilla extract

• 2 cups variety berries, sliced and halved ( such as strawberries, blueberries, blackberries)

• 1 cup sliced pineapple, save the juice for soaking cake

Recipe

Vanilla Cake 

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease & line three 8-inch cake pans.

2. Whisk the cake flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together. Set aside.

3. Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides, beat in the 3 eggs, 2 egg whites, and vanilla extract until combined. (Mixture will look curdled, don’t worry!)

4. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients until just combined. With the mixer running on low speed, pour in the buttermilk, and mix just until combined. Using a whisk or rubber spatula, fold the batter, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl, ensuring there are no lumps. 

5. Pour batter evenly into pans. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow cakes to cool.

Heavy Cream Frosting 

1. In a cold mixing bowl, beat the whipping cream, cream cheese, vanilla extract. Add the confectioners' sugar on medium speed until fluffy. 

2. To assemble, place one of the cooled layers on a cake plate. Using a pastry brush, soak the layer with the pineapple juice. Add a ½ cup of the frosting, roughly spread and top with a ½ cup of the berries and pineapples. Repeat until the last layer. For the top, add the remaining frosting and decorate with berries.