Key Lime Pie Poke Cake

As you probably guessed, Key Lime Pie (and key limes) come from the Keys. Many southerners consider the Florida line to be the official end of the south, but it is south of the Mason-Dixon so it counts.

When key lime pie is done right (i.e. made with key limes) it can be magical. Refreshing yet sweet, and creamy and cool.

All of the traditional Savannah restaurants offer some version of key lime pie on their dessert menu. When I speak of traditional Savannah restaurants I am referring to the ones that have been around forever, like the Olde Pink House or Garibaldi’s.

Since summer has officially begun in Savannah, it felt natural to make a southern dessert that is inspired by the season. Note: it is not officially summer, but when you live this deep in the south, the heat makes it feel like summer arrives early.

And to be completely honest, I did not feel like making a pie crust so baking a version of the dessert without a pie crust was my approach for this one. What is just as good a pie crust? Cake!

The base flavors/components for key lime pie recipes are always the same, key limes, graham cracker, and meringue. This recipe includes all of the essential components. A graham cracker cake, key lime pudding, toasted meringue, and a graham cracker crumb.

As for a poke cake, the concept is simple. Bake a one-layer cake in a cake pan and once it is cool poke holes into and pour something delicious over the cake. I finish my version off with a slathering of meringue and a blow torch.

Key Lime Pie Poke Cake

Category: Recipes, Sweet Recipes

Key Lime Pie Poke Cake

Ingredients

For the Cake:
8 Tablespoons of Unsalted Butter, room temperature
1/2 Cup of Granulated Sugar
2 Eggs
1 1/2 Teaspoons of Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon of Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon of Salt
1/2 Cup of Whole Milk
12 Graham Crackers, processed into crumbs
For the Pudding:
4 Limes or 12 Key Limes
2 Cups of Whole Milk
1/2 Cup of Heavy Whipping Cream
2/3 Cup of Granulated Sugar
4 Eggs Yolks
4 Tablespoons of Cornstarch
4 Tablespoons of Unsalted Butter
1/4 Teaspoon of Salt
For the Meringue:
4 Egg Whites
1/2 Teaspoon of Cream of Tartar
1/2 Cup of Water
1 Cup of Sugar

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a square baking pan by greasing it and coating in flour. Set aside.
Cream together the sugar and butter to start making the cake batter. Once combined, cream for approximately 4 minutes on medium speed or until butter is light and fluffy.
In a mixing bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. Set aside.
In another mixing bowl, whisk together the remaining wet ingredients.
With the mixer on medium, pour in 1/3 of your dry ingredients, followed by 1/3 of your wet ingredients, and continue until all of the ingredients are fully combined and well mixed.
Pour the cake batter into the prepare cake pan. Bake, on the middle rack, for 30-45 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Allow the cake to cool while you prepare the pudding.
First zest half of your limes, then set the zest to the side.
In a small bowl, combine the milk for the pudding, the heavy cream, and the juice from all of the limes. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch, salt, and limes zest. Whisk together. Next add in the egg yolks and whisk to combine.
Slowly whisk in the milk mixture and stir until smooth.
Place the saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick. This should take approximatley 10 minutes. The mixture will coat the back of a wooden spoon.
Remove the pudding from the heat and whisk in the butter until it is melted and combined.
Allow the pudding to cool while you prepare the meringue.
In a small sauce pan, combine the sugar and water. Stir to dissolve sugar. Turn the stove to medium-high heat.
Cook the sugar until it reaches 240 degrees Fahrenheit.
While the sugar is cooking, combine the egg whites and cream of tartar into the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk on medium speed until soft peaks form.
With the mixer on low, carefully and very slowly pour the cooked sugar down the side of the mixing bowl.
Once the sugar syrup is fully poured in, increase the mixer speed to medium and whisk until stiff peaks form.
Assemble the cake by poking holes into the cake with the handle of a wooden spoon.
Pour over the lime pudding, spreading until the pudding fills all of the holes.
Finish by gently spreading the meringue over the top of the cake. You can toast the meringue with a torch.
Optional: Top each slice with a sprinkle of graham cracker crumbs.

https://epicuropedia.com/2019/05/26/key-lime-pie-poke-cake/

White Chocolate Mousse Tart + Pink Peppercorn Strawberry Sauce

Featuredby Lindy MoodyLeave a Comment

Happy Valentine’s Day! I hope your day is filled with joy and love–even if that means cuddling your dog a little extra.

I did not plan on posting for Valentine’s Day. That all changed when I watched the latest episode of Kids Baking Championship. I watch almost any baking show available.

On the last episode, the challenge was to create a tart with crazy ingredient. Pink peppercorns were one of the ingredients given to use. So, laying in bed, watching these kids kill it in the kitchen I thought, “I can do that!”

Strawberry, chocolate, and a little spice from peppercorns just seemed like the perfect Valentines combination. So the stars aligned, and this recipe would be the perfect one to post on Valentine’s.

Also, I knew my husband would love it. Two birds, one stone.

The tart itself is nothing crazy–simple dark chocolate pate sucree (crust) sits on the bottom with a swirled airy white chocolate mousse to full it. The crazy comes in with the sauce for the top, cooked down fresh strawberries with pulverized pink peppercorns.

Pink peppercorns work perfectly with fruit because they are much more floral than normal black peppercorns. They also have less of a peppery bite.

This is not a beginners recipe so as always I want to give you a few tips to help:

Creating a light mousse only takes a few ingredients and proper technique. You use both meringue and whipped cream. To create a perfect meringue use room temperature egg whites and ensure there is not even a fleck of egg yolk in the whites.
Folding is how your incorporate meringue and whipped cream into the chocolate. Folding is not like whisking or stirring. To fold you gently cut down the middle of your mixture with a spatula, then fold over one half of the mixture over the second half. Repeat until everything is blended.
Always chill your tart shell before rolling it out, fit the shell to the tart pan once cooled, and also chill again before baking it once it is fit into the tart pan. This will prevent shrinkage.
Always poke holes with a fork in the bottom of the tart dough to prevent it from puffing during baking.

White Chocolate Mousse Tart + Pink Peppercorn Strawberry Sauce

Category: Recipes

A slice of tart with sauce on top and a bite taken out

Ingredients

For the Crust:
1/3 Stick of Cold Butter, cut into cubes
1 1/3 Cups of All Purpose Flour
3 Tablespoons of Dutch Process Cocoa Powder
1/2 Cup of Powdered Sugar
1/8 Teaspoon of Salt
1 Large Egg
For the Mousse:
6 Ounces of Good White Chocolate
1 1/4 Cups of Whipping Cream
2 Large Egg Whites, room temperature
1/2 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
1/8 Teaspoon of Cream of Tartar
For the Sauce:
1lb of Fresh Strawberries
Juice from 1/2 Lemon
1 Tablespoon of Pink Peppercorns
1/4 Cup of Sugar

Instructions

First create the tart dough.
In a food processor combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Pulse until the ingredients are combined.
Next add in the cold butter. Pulse the mixture together for approximatley 15 seconds or until the mixture resembles chunky sand. You want the butter to be in shape of various sized pebbles.
Add the egg into the food processor and mix until combined.
Pour the dough out onto a floured surface and form it into a ball. Wrap the dough ball in plastic wrap and allow it rest in the fridge for one hour.
While the dough chills, create your mousse.
In a double boiler over medium heat, combine 1/4 cup of the whipping cream with the white chocolate.
Stir continually until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Once smooth, set aside to allow it to cool for at least 15 minutes.
Next make your merigue by combining the egg whites and cream of tarter in a stand mixer. Beat the egg whites on medium speed until stiff peaks form.
Place the meringue in a seperate bowl, and then clean the mixing bowl.
Make the whipped cream by combining the remaining heavy whipping cream and the vanilla extract in the bowl of your stand mixer. Mix on medium speed until stiff whipped cream forms.
In a large bowl, fold 1/2 of your meringue into the white chocolate until it is fully incorporated. Fold the remaining 1/2 of meringue into the mixture.
Next fold 1/2 of your whipped cream into the merigue and white chocolate mixture until it is well combined. After fully combined, fold in the remaining 1/2.
Cover and allow the white chocolate mousse to rest in the fridge while you finish the tart crust.
After the tart dough has chilled for one hour, place your dough on a well floured surface. With a floured rolling pin, roll out your tart dough into a sphere that is two inches larger than the tart pan you plan to use.
Place the tart dough into the pan and pressing it in. You want to form the dough to the pan completely then trim off the ends. Poke the bottom of the tart pan with a fork.
Place the tart pan in the fridge to allow the dough to cool while you preheat your oven. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Once the oven is heated, line the dough with parchment paper then fill it with pie weights.
Bake for 20 minutes.
Allow the crust to cool completely before filling it.
While the crust cools, create your strawberry sauce.
Rinse, hull, and slice your strawberries into large chunks.
Place the strawberries into a small saucepan along with the sugar and lemon juice.
Heat the mixture over medium heat until it reaches a boil.
Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and allow the strawberries to cook for 20 minutes.
While the strawberries cook, grind or pulverize the pink peppercorns into a course powder.
After 20 minutes is up, remove the strawberry sauce from the heat and stir in the pink pepper. Set the mixture aside to cool.
Finish the tart by smoothing the white chocolate mousse into the chilled tart shell. Then, allow it to set up in the fridge for at least one hour.
Slice and serve the tart with the stawberry sauce.

https://epicuropedia.com/2019/02/14/white-chocolate-mousse-tart-pink-peppercorn-strawberry-sauce/

Recipes

Pluot & Almond Galette

August 21, 2018August 28, 2018by Lindy Moody2 Comments

Summer is all about seasonal cooking with the freshest ingredients (and laying by the pool too), so when I make a trip to the store I grab the produce that looks best and is in season, it automatically drives what I will make next. The same applies if I spot something fun and unique that I have never tasted before–my mom taught me to try everything at least once. Not too long ago I spotted pluots, a plum and apricot hybrid. A fruit that has the best of both and that is easy to bake with.

Being lazy after a long summer day laying by the pool, I do not always have the most energy to really make my baked goods pretty. Sometimes you just want the end result without all of the work. A galette is perfect for that baker.

A galette is essentially a free form pie, great for those of us that struggle with making our baked goods pretty. A bit more rustic, you simply roll out your pie crust, pour your filling in the middle, and fold the edges up and over. The center stays open allowing the sugar in the filling to cook down and get extra gooey.

For this recipe I use brown sugar instead of regular sugar; it adds a deeper flavor to the baked good

There are a few tricks to remember when making a pie crust because we all know they can be very tricky:

Make sure your butter is very cold, the same applies if you are using lard or shortening.
Use a pastry cutter, and if you do not have one use a large fork.
Do not overwork or your pastry will become tough.
Adding a bit of vinegar allows the glutens to relax, so your dough is not tough.
Always let your dough rest in the fridge at least 30 minutes before using.

Pluot & Almond Galette

Category: Recipes

Pluot & Almond Galette

Ingredients

Crust Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon of sugar
5 tablespoons ice water. Add more if needed
Galette Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon of Brown Sugar
3 Tablespoons of All Propose Flour
2 Tablespoons of Butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 Teaspoon of Salt
6 Pluots, sliced
1 Tablespoon of Vanilla Extract
1 egg yolk
1 Tablespoon of Milk
1 Cup of Sliced Almonds, coarsely chopped

Instructions

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt and mix until combined.
Cut in your butter with a pastry cutter until butter is mixed in in large chunks. In the alternate use a food processor and pulse together until butter is combined in large chunks (about 5-10 seconds).
Pour in your 5 tablespoons of ice water.
Lightly fold together ingredients with your hand until the dough just comes together.
Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and let rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before using.
While the dough rests prepare the rest of your ingredients.
Slice your pluots into thin wedges, and place in a mixing bowl.
Add your sugar, flour, vanilla, and salt to the pluots. Stir together until fully combined then set aside to allow the natural juices to come out.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
When the crust is ready, remove from the fridge a roll out into a 13 inch circle. Gently place the pastry onto a sheet pan with a slipmat.
Leaving about a 2-inch border at the edge of the dough, sprinkle your chopped almonds onto the bottom of the crust.
Next, layer your pluots on top of the almonds, then gently spoon the juice remaining in the bowl over the fruit.
Evenly arrange your small pieces of butter over the top of the fruit.
Gently fold the 2 inch border of crust over the filling, you may have to create pleats to allow the crust to lay flat. The center of the galette will expose the fruit filling.
Create an egg wash by whisking your milk and egg yolk together.
Brush the wash onto the crust, then sprinkle with white sugar.
Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the crust is golden brown.
Let cool completely before serving, or the juices will not set and run out.

https://epicuropedia.com/2018/08/21/pluot-almond-galette/

Recipes

A French Mousse Tart

March 26, 2018June 29, 2018by Lindy Moody1 Comment

Can you believe that Easter is almost here? It feels like just last week I was coming up with something to bake for Valentine’s Day. Regardless of your beliefs, I know for most people Easter is a wonderful time to dress up and enjoy a bountiful meal with your family.

Creamy deviled eggs, sticky glazed ham, and a few gooey casseroles are just some of the things my family normally fixes for Easter dinner. My favorite part of the meal are all of the desserts. Banana puddin’, humming bird cake, and pound cake are just some of the sweets you can normally expect one of our southern gatherings. Besides loading a tiny paper plate with a sampling of each pie, puddin’, or cake, I love being someone who contributes to the dessert table. My family responds a bit more positively to my baked goods than my covered dishes.

At least a week before the gathering, I thumb through my library of cook books or have a heated but friendly discussion with my husband on what to bake. The inspiration for this one came from a true classic: Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

The below recipe is adapted from her recipe for a normal Pate Sablee, a tender sweet tart crust and a Chocolate Mousse. If you have never made a mousse (this was my first time too) just remember to be gentle when folding in your egg whites. Mixing the egg whites in thirds will help with the process.

For this recipe you will want to start with the tart base. You have to let it rest in the fridge for several hours.

I topped the tart with those adorable milk chocolate eggs that you can find in the Easter candy section at the grocery store. They are so adorably festive, and they taste delicious too.

Chocolate Pate Sablee

Ingredients:

1 1/3 Cups of Flour
2 Tablespoons of Chilled Shortening
5 Tablespoons of Cold Butter
3 Tablespoons of Coco Powder
1/8 Teaspoon of Baking Powder
5 Tablespoons of Sugar
A Pinch of Salt
1 Egg
1 Tablespoon of Cold Water

Directions:

In a small mixing bowl, combine your flour, sugar, salt, coco powder, and baking powder. Stir to combine.
With you finger tips, mix in the two types of fat. The ending result should look similar to dry oatmeal.
Beat together your egg and water, then pour over your mixture.
Kneed mixture together to create a ball.
Wrap the dough and chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours.
After chilled, roll out to appropriate size to fit a 9 or 10 inch tart pan.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place dough in tart pan, cover dough with parchment paper and pie weights.
Bake for 15 minutes.
Remove and let cool completely before adding mousse.

Strawberry Mousse

Ingredients:

1/2 Pound of Fresh Strawberry’s, hulls removed
1/4 Cup of Sugar
1 Tablespoon fo Fresh Lemon Juice
Pinch of Salt
2 Eggs, separated
1/2 Cup of Heavy Whipping Cream
1/2 Teaspoon of Vanilla

Directions:

Purée strawberries to create strawberry juice.
In a small saucepan combine strawberry juice, lemon juice, sugar, and egg yolks. Cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes, or until mixture thickens to coat the back of a spoon.
Remove from heat and let cool in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
After the mixture has cooled, begin making your merengue. Beat the two egg whites until stiff peaks form.
Working in thirds, gently fold in the egg whites into your chilled strawberry mixture. Place in the fridge to rest while you make the whipped cream.
Whip the heavy whipping cream and vanilla with a mixer until stiff peaks form.
Fold the whipped cream, working in thirds, until fully combined with the strawberry mixture.
Evenly spoon into the bottom of your chilled tart crust. Only fill with enough mouse to create an amount even with the top of the tart shell.
Allow to set in the fridge until the white chocolate mousse layer is ready to add.

White Chocolate Mousse

Ingredients:

3 Eggs, divided
1/3 Cup of Sugar Plus 1/2 Tablespoon
4 Ounces of White Chocolate Chips, or 1/2 of a Cup
5 Tablespoons of Butter, softened
1/2 Cup of Heavy Whipping Cream Plus 2 Tablespoons

Directions:

Prepare a double boiler, heating the water over medium heat. In a bowl used for the double boiler, combine three egg yolks and 1/3 cup of sugar.
Whip the mixture, by hand or with a beater, until the eggs are pale yellow and fall back on themselves dissolving in a slow ribbon. Should take 3-4 minutes by hand.
Place the mixture over the double boiler and beat for another 3-4 minutes until the mixture is too warm to touch.
Remove from the heat and continue to beat the egg yolks until they form the consistency of mayonnaise, another 3-4 minutes. Set aside.
Using another bowl that will work as part of the double boiler, combine the white chocolate and 2 tablespoons of heavy cream.
Heat in the double boiler, constantly stirring until the chocolate has melted.
Remove from heat and stir in the softened butter, mixing until fully combined.
Combine your chocolate mixture and egg yolk mixture. Set aside.
With beaters or in a stand mixer, beat your egg whites until soft peaks form.
Pour in 1/2 Tablespoon of sugar, continue to beat until stiff peaks form.
In thirds, gently found the stiff egg whites into your white chocolate mixture. Set in the fridge while you make the whipped cream.
With beaters or in a stand mixer, beat the remaining heavy cream until it forms stiff whipping cream.
In thirds, gently fold the whipped cream into your white chocolate mixture.
Cover and let rest in the fridge for an hour.
When ready, use a piping bag with the desired tip to pipe the mousse as the top layer of your tart.
Cover and let the completed tart set up in the fridge for at least two more hours.
When ready to serve, top with desired decoration. I used chocolate milk eggs.

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