fun with freezer pies (and the Fudge Madness)
Like so many culinary greats, the Key Lime Pie has been cheapened, mass produced, and complicated. Even when on sale, bad pies are just not worth the money or calories. My mother recently told me of a recipe handed to her from a colleague: One 14-oz can of sweetened condensed milk and one cup of fresh Key Lime juice. That’s it. Blend thoroughly. Have a beer, wine, or cocktail if possible. It is only right to celebrate the small triumphs. Pour over a pie crust (I like graham cracker) and put in freezer until it sets, about 3 hours. Eat whenever and wherever you can.
You may find this version much more sour than your are accustomed to, especially if you can use real Key Limes, which are small and quite tart. Use whipped cream to balance the dessert. Here, I used fresh pineapple, cinnamon, and a little whipped cream.
This experiment was too good to end, so the Janer, the sister I never had, tried an orange and chocolate fudge pie. Instead of artfully decorating her noble Florida orange pie, she smothered it with The Fudge Madness. She mixed condensed milk with melted dark chocolate.
It began innocently enough… Then it was find of fun… Then it got out of hand and Jane was completely out of control, with an insane gleam in her eye. Chocolate is truly the devil’s food.
Although the fudge tasted good, it was far too thick and chewy, and overwhelmed the orange flavor. I made a pie a couple weeks later with half oranges and half tangerines and poured the filling over an oreo crust. Bingo— it was perfect. No Fudge Madness required.
I also experimented with a “Mojito pie”: using key limes and adding fresh mint and a shot of rum before blending. It turned out great, and the rum doid not prevent the pie from setting. I’m tempted to try two shots next time… but then I may succumb to the Rum Madness…. Pray for me, baby.