The Easiest and Quite Possibly Tastiest Pie Ever…

I’m all for the idea of using high-quality, healthy and organic ingredients in baking. I’m also all about the idea of labor-intensive pies that take all day to make, and involve various steps that eventually dirties every mixing bowl, pan and plate in the kitchen.

But sometimes… sometimes you’re short on time, energy, and dish soap. And damn if you don’t want to sacrifice flavor because of it.

My solution? My go-to pie recipe, the one that’s always a crowd-pleaser (especially in summer) – Key Lime Pie. It’s quite possibly the easiest pie to make, and it’s also one of the very best. The ingredients are all guilty pleasure ingredients like sweetened condensed milk, pre-made pie crusts, and lots of whipped cream out of a can. Ingredients that most self-respecting bakers wouldn’t use, but that are worth indulging in for this recipe. This is the creamiest, smoothest, and most refreshing pie I know of. It’s the kind of pie I could see Cinnamon churning out in large batches on a hot and smoky August day at her pie shop in Christmas River (which, in Malice in Christmas River, due out this August, she actually will be!

I can’t really take credit for this recipe. It’s just a variation on your basic Joy of Cooking Key Lime Pie. But I've been making it for years, and I have yet to come across one person who hasn't fallen head-over-heels for it. Just be sure to make more than one, as it tends to disappear quickly!

Key Lime Pie

(makes two pies)

2 pre-made, store-bought graham cracker crusts

2 14-ounce cans of sweetened condensed milk (I find Eagle Brand to be a tried and trusted standby)

8 egg yolks

1 ¼ cup of key lime juice (fresh squeezed, or from the bottle)

4 teaspoons lime zest

Whipped cream in a can

Lime peel twists (Lime peel strips twisted)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine sweetened condensed milk, egg yolks, key lime juice and lime zest in a bowl and stir until well-combined. Divide mixture between two graham cracker crusts, and bake for about 17 minutes. Remove pies, let cool completely, and then chill in fridge for several hours. Add whipped cream to top just before serving, along with a lime twist. Sit back, eat, and enjoy the summer!

Warning: Eating too much Key Lime Pie may result in this...

Heehee :)

MM

The Bride to Be Cocktail

Dear Readers,

Happy June! I just love, love this time of year. It's as though the whole world is bursting with color -- bright blue skies, fresh young greens, and vibrant flowers blossoming everywhere. It's so pretty, it almost makes those blasted allergies worth it :).

Of course, this time of year is also when plenty of people tie the knot. I had the honor of being my sister's Maid of Honor (Or "Meg of Honor" as I liked to call myself :) when she got hitched in Moab, Utah this May. It was the most beautiful wedding! And while there were some crazy and hectic moments leading up to it (I can see why brides lose their minds in the weeks ahead of the wedding -- much like Cinnamon did in Madness in Christmas River!), it was an incredibly special day.

Anyway, I know a lot of you out there are bridesmaids of maids of honor this wedding season, and are probably charged with planning bridal showers, bachelorette parties, and the like. This is a cocktail I made for my sister's wedding shower early last month, and it was a huge hit! It's hard to go wrong with the refreshing flavors of basil, strawberries and lemonade this time of year. An added bonus of this drink is that you can easily make it without alcohol, and it's just as tasty.

So without further delay, here's the recipe. Enjoy the wedding season!

The Bride to Be

(Makes one drink)

2 ounces of strawberry lemonade

1 1/2 ounces of tequila (optional)

1 ounce of lime-flavored sparkling soda water (Talking Rain or La Croix are tasty!)

3 basil leaves

1 to 2 strawberries, sliced up

(If leaving out the tequila, replace with more soda water and lemonade)

Place the basil leaves and strawberries into a high ball glass and muddle together with a muddler or the back of a spoon. Add the strawberry lemonade and tequila, and stir together well. Top off with the lime-flavored soda water, and you've got an elegant and delicious sipper sure to please everyone in the bridal party!