Cranberry Lime Pie
The bright color is a hint of the equally bright flavor of Cranberry Lime Pie. Crushed gingersnaps and pecans make up the warm and nutty crust. The filling: sweet-tart cranberry lime curd.
Curd
What is fruit curd? If you are a teatime person, you are familiar with lemon curd. Spread on scones and sandwiched between cookies, it is indulgent, buttery, and lemony.
Fruit curd is a combination of eggs, sugar, fruit juice, and zest cooked until some of the liquid evaporates and thickened. Sometimes the mixture incorporates butter as well. Once the curd cools, it is a creamy, spreadable paste.
Citrus fruits like grapefruit, lemon, lime, and orange are well-suited for this because their acid and sharp flavor balance the richness of the curd. Lately, I have seen berries made into curds, such as blackberry, raspberry, and strawberry. This recipe uses tart cranberries and limes.
A nice counterpoint to the luscious filling is the cookie crust.
Gingersnap Pie Crust
Cookie pie crusts are nothing new. They are made from crunchy cookies like graham crackers, Oreos, and shortbread. Crush cookies into crumbs, add butter, and press the mixture into a pan.
To quote Ina Garten, how easy is that?
This crust is made with gingersnaps. The crunchy kind from a box. Plus, pecans!
Lessons Learned
- Need your crust to be nut-free? Use just cookies. Double the amount of gingersnaps.
- If you don’t mind pieces of cranberry and zest in your curd, by all means, skip the fine mesh strainer bit. Straining it makes the curd silky smooth but that might not be your thing.
- The garnishes are optional, of course. They do make the pie extra pretty but a dollop of whipped cream instead would be just as nice.
Hat Tips
Many thanks to Epicurious for their cranberry-lime pie recipe.
Cranberry Lime Pie
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Chill Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 12 slices
Ingredients
- 4 ounces gingersnap cookies (16 cookies of Nabisco brand)
- 1 cup pecans
- 4 Tbsp butter, melted
- 3 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1 package (12 oz) fresh or thawed cranberries
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar, divided use
- ¼ cup water
- 3 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 2 tsp lime zest
- ½ cup fresh lime juice
- Pinch of kosher salt
- ¾ cup butter, cut into pieces
- ½ cup water
- 1 cup granulated sugar, divided use
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
- ½ cup whole pecans
- 1 tsp lime zest
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F/176 C. Make the crust by blitzing the cookies in a food processor or blender until they are crumbs. Add the pecans and blitz again until the mixture is fine crumbs. Add the melted butter and brown sugar, then pulse a few times to combine. It should look like wet sand. Pour the mixture into a 9-inch deep dish pie pan. Press the crumbs firmly on the bottom and sides into an even layer. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes until firm. If you have a crust emergency and the sides have slid down, just press them back to where they should go. Remove from the oven and let cool.
- Make the cranberry puree by combining the cranberries, 1 cup sugar, and water in a medium saucepan. Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Then, lower the heat and continue cooking until the cranberries burst. Allow it to cook until most of the juice is gone, about 12 minutes. Let it cool slightly, then pour it into a clean blender or food processor and blitz until it is pureed.
- Make the filling by pouring the cranberry puree, ½ cup sugar, eggs, egg yolks, lemon zest, lime zest, lime juice, and salt into the top pan of a double boiler. Bring 2 cups of water to simmer in the bottom saucepan. Place the upper pan (you can also use a heatproof bowl if you don’t have a double boiler) over the water. Cook the mixture, stirring with a rubber spatula, for 8 to 10 minutes. Scrape the sides of the pan and stir frequently as the curd starts to thicken. Press the curd through a fine mesh strainer to get rid of the pieces of cranberry and zest to make it smooth. Scrape the underside of the strainer to capture all the curd. Let it cool for 15 minutes.
- Now, add one piece of the butter and beat it into the mixture with a hand-held or stand mixer. Once the butter is incorporated, add the next piece and do the same. It will take 5-ish minutes to add all the butter, one piece at a time. The curd will be a lighter shade of reddish pink and fluffier. Pour the curd into the crust and smooth the top. Place it in the fridge for 2 hours or until set.
- Make the garnish. This is optional, but it is pretty. Prepare a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper under a wire rack and have it nearby. Bring the sugar and water to a simmer over medium heat in a small saucepan. Add the cranberries and allow them to cook for 2 minutes, then remove them to the wire rack with a slotted spoon. They should slightly soften but don’t allow them to burst. Now, add the pecans to the saucepan and cook them for 5 minutes, then remove them to the wire rack with a slotted spoon. Allow the berries and nuts to cool and dry for about 1 hour. Pour the remaining ½ cup sugar onto a plate. Add the cranberries and pecans and roll them in the sugar to create a frosted appearance.
- The naked pie can be kept covered in the fridge for 2 days. Garnish the pie just before serving. Arrange the sugared cranberries and pecans as you wish, then finish it off with 1 teaspoon of lime zest.
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