Key Lime Pie with a Salty Macadamia-Graham Cracker Crust
serves 8
Amy’s husband thinks this is the greatest pie ever made…and we can understand how he’s seduced by this recipe. The inspiration for our recipe was a dessert Amy’s mother always made “for company.” The filling is classic key lime pie except that instead of using just the yolks, Amy’s mom whipped the whites and folded them in before baking. The addition of egg whites not only adds almost calorieless protein but it gives the cake a unique, ethereal lightness. (Of course, if you prefer the traditional dense, pudding-like filling of a traditional key lime pie, you can leave out the egg whites. Save them for a morning-after omelet instead.)
Eggs and limes, these are beautiful, natural ingredients of aphrodisiac repute. The custard makes it obvious why key lime pie should be deemed aphrodisiac. The crust, however, proves to be problematic. You can’t have key lime pie without a graham cracker crust, right? The problem is: graham crackers were invented to suppress sexual urges. That is the honest-to-goodness origin of graham crackers. So we had to find a way to change the crust. Our solution? Reduce the amount of graham crackers and replace them with exotic, tropical macadamia nuts. The resulting pie is something sure to stimulate your lover’s taste buds and their primal urges.
For the crust:
9 graham crackers—full bars, not broken into squares (approximately 4 oz)
1/3 cup dry roasted, salted macadamia nuts
3 tbsp granulated sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
For the pie filling:
3 eggs, separated
1 14-oz can sweetened, condensed milk
2/3 cup key lime juice*
For the topping:
1 cup heavy whipping cream, cold
*Fresh key lime juice will make the most vibrant, citrusy cake. But when fresh limes are unavailable, bottled key lime juice is a suitable substitute. It’s available from many grocers or on Amazon.com. We’ve also tried the cake with fresh limequats, which make a brilliantly tart variation.
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Butter the bottom and sides of a standard (not deep-dish) 9-inch pie plate.
3. Put the graham crackers and macadamia nuts in a food processor and process until you have crumbs. (If you don’t have a food processor—or if you have aggression issues you need to work out—first finely chop the macadamia nuts. Break the graham crackers into smaller pieces then zip into a large plastic bag with the chopped nuts and crush with a rolling pin.)
4. Transfer to a medium mixing bowl and mix in the sugar before pouring in the butter. Stir until the entire mixture is moistened by the butter and crumbly in texture. (You can do this in the food processor if you prefer.)
5. Press the graham cracker mixture evenly into the bottom and sides of the pie plate, forming a neat edge.
6. Bake for 8–10 minutes, until the crust is set and has turned slightly darker gold.
7. Set the crust aside to cool on a wire rack. Keep the oven set to 350 degrees.
8. While the crust is cooling, whisk the egg whites with an electric mixer until soft peaks have formed. (It is important to ensure that all the eggs are whipped. Try to double-check the bottom of the bowl. If any of the egg isn’t whipped, it can cause your crust to go limp once the cake is baked. And limp crust is the culinary equivalent of…well, it’s bad.) Set the whites aside.
9. Using the mixer, beat the egg yolks until fluffy, about 5 minutes at a medium speed. Slowly pour in the condensed milk, beating at a medium speed for an additional 3 minutes.
10. Slowly, with the mixer on the lowest speed, add the lime juice, mixing until combined.
11. Carefully fold in the egg whites by hand. Do not overmix. Then carefully pour the mixture into the cooled pie crust.
12. Bake for 10 minutes or until filling sets.
13. Cool on a wire rack for about 20 minutes and then an additional 15–20 minutes in the refrigerator before serving.
14. While the pie is cooling, whip the cold cream with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.
15. To serve, smooth a layer of whipped cream over the top of the pie or spoon a generous dollop onto each slice.
Perfect Grape Seed Oil Pie Crust
yields 1 pie crust
dairy-free, diabetic-friendly, vegan
This pie crust is awesome! It came about almost by accident when we were playing with all the different things you can do with grape seed oil. Delahna thought to try pie crust. It took us more than a few tries to get it right but we love the final recipe.
This crust is substantially different than your average butter-based crust. It doesn’t flake in quite the same way. In fact, it’s quite crispy—seductively so, we think. Instead of sort of melting into the creamy textures of a pie, it lends an opposing texture, a delicious crunch.
Incidentally, you don’t actually have to roll this dough, although we prefer it that way. If you’re roll-a-phobic, you and your lover can roll up your sleeves and press the pie into the pan together. The act is kind of a cross between the clay-molding scene in Ghost and preschoolers playing with their first play dough. So if bringing out your inner child while getting a little Patrick Swayze couple action sounds like your style, by all means skip the rolling pin!
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 tbsp powdered sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2–6 tbsp ice cold water
1/3 cup grape seed oil
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Combine flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly with a fork.
3. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture.
4. Stir 2 tablespoons of ice cold water into the grape seed oil.
5. Slowly pour the grape seed oil and water into the well in the center of the flour mixture then mix by hand or by fork until it is evenly moistened and lumpy.
6. Attempt to roll the mixture into a ball of dough. If it seems a little too dry to roll out, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, up to 4 tablespoons. (This dough will feel slightly different than your average butter or lard-based dough.)
7. Sprinkle flour on a clean, smooth surface. Transfer ball of dough to the surface and flatten it with your hands to make a thick disk.
8. Lightly flour a rolling pin and roll the dough out to approximately a 1/4-inch thick circle. (Once again, it will feel different than your typical dough and may flake a little while you’re rolling. Just pat any dough that peels off onto the top of the circle and roll it back in.)
9. Transfer the crust to your pie plate and press it into the bottom and sides of the pan. Cut off any excess, then crimp the edges or press them down with a fork. Prick the bottom of the pie crust a few times with the tines of a fork.
10. Bake for 16–20 minutes until crust just begins to turn golden.
Chipotle-Spiked Strawberry Cream Pie
serves 8
There are certain ingredients with aphrodisiac attributes that cannot be disputed. Chile is one of them. It makes the heart race and cheeks flush, simulating the excitement of new love. It also raises body temperature and the inclination to tear off your clothing. It makes a surprisingly well-matched partner for desserts, playing the opposing role to sweet and the “hot” to a dish that’s served cold. Here we use the smoky sting of chipotle to heat up our cool, creamy pie. Cooked with the strawberry topping, the chipotle plays up the earthy notes of the balsamic. Best of all, it adds a tongue-tingling sensation that will tap into your primal urge to kiss.
For the crust:
1 prepared Perfect Grape Seed Oil Pie Crust
For the ricotta filling:
1 cup ricotta cheese*
3 oz cream cheese, softened
2 tbsp honey
powdered sugar for dusting
*Fresh ricotta, if you can find it, will give the pie an exceptionally silky texture. (It’s often sold at farmers’ markets and specialty food retailers. We found it at Whole Foods.) Commercial varieties will work as well, but will require a little extra whipping. We hope you’re into that sort of thing.
For the strawberry topping:
1 lb strawberries, washed and destemmed
2 tsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp chipotle chile powder
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
For the ricotta filling:
1. Put the ricotta and cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer, or a medium mixing bowl. Whisk at medium-high speed for 2–3 minutes (less for fresh ricotta) until mixture is fluffy and starts to lose its grainy texture. (If whisking by hand, use an extremely vigorous, rhythmic motion. You need to incorporate as much air into the ricotta as possible.)
2. Add honey and whisk for an additional minute. Store the sweetened, whipped cheese in the refrigerator until you are ready to assemble your pie. (You will dust the mixture with powdered sugar later, when it’s transferred to the pie shell.)
For the strawberry topping:
1. Quarter the strawberries.
2. Add the strawberries, sugar and chipotle powder to a saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook for approximately 2–3 minutes until strawberries release some juice and start to make a syrup. (Keep in mind that when you add the balsamic, the mixture will get more syrupy, so be sure not to overcook.)
3. Remove from heat, then stir in the balsamic. Do not add the balsamic while the fruit is still cooking, as this will diminish the vinegar’s acidic bite. Cool the fruit to room temperature before using.
To assemble the pie:
1. Fill your baked and cooled Perfect Grape Seed Oil Pie Crust with an even layer of the chilled, whipped cheese mixture. Smooth the top. Using a sifter, sprinkle with a fine dusting of powdered sugar.
2. Spoon the strawberry topping over the pie, straining out excess liquid as you go.
Store the pie in the refrigerator until serving.
Five-Spice Apples in Syrup
serves 8 or 16 as a topping for the
Polenta Shortcake
gluten-free
Since apple is the original forbidden fruit, we could hardly create an aphrodisiac dessert book without it. Here we give apples a treatment that positively evokes autumn on a plate—but only the best parts, of course, like cuddling in front of a fire or falling hand-and-hand with your lover into a pile of crunchy leaves. Chinese five-spice powder gives the dish an earthy, comforting aroma and flavor. Five-spice is a harmonious blend of “warming spices”—the kind that legend says warms your soul, your spirit and your loins. It’s made from a blend of star anise, cinnamon, cloves, Sichuan pepper and fennel seed. We created this apple dish, with its drizzle of sweet, buttery syrup, to top our Polenta Shortcake. But the apples also make a perfect, seasonal topping for plain yogurt with a sprinkle of granola or as a warming accompaniment to vanilla ice cream.
1/4 cup unsalted butter
4 Braeburn or Fuji apples, peeled, cored and sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 cup apple juice
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp five-spice powder
plain yogurt, vanilla ice cream, crème fraîche or Whipped Coconut “Cream” for serving
1. Melt the butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the apples and let them sit for 1 minute before gently stirring. Cook, uncovered, for 8–10 minutes until apples become tender. Stir occasionally.
2. Add the apple juice, brown sugar and five-spice powder. Stir to combine.
3. Turn the heat up until the liquid boils. Simmer for 1–2 minutes to reduce the apple juice slightly, to make a seductive syrup.
To serve with our Polenta Shortcake:
Divide the still-warm apples and spoon over 6 servings of cake. Top each with a drizzle of the apple syrup and a dollop of crème fraîche, whipped cream or Whipped Coconut “Cream.”