Margarita Pie (no ‘h’ means it’s not pizza)
margarita
pie
How to make Margarita Pie:
a multi-phase recipe.
Makes one 9 inch pie.
Step 1: get inspired by something someone posted on the internets, like this:
Step 2: Make and drink a margarita.
Step 3: Desired weekend plane ticket currently costs an entire paycheck. This is infringing on your spontaneity. Try to measure in more reasonable units. That is still an obscene amount of shoes to justify. You are categorically not a baller.
Step 4: Preheat oven to 350. Start following a recipe for key lime pie, get distracted
Step 5: Melt 5 Tbs butter. Pulse 14 graham cracker (the big cookie of 4 sections) in a food processor or smash with a hammer. Combine in a bowl with 1/3 cup sugar, 1/4 teas salt, 1 Tbs triple sec, and 2 Tbs tequila.
Step 6: Fling buttery, tequila-y graham cracker crumbs all over your kitchen. Feel like a jerk cause the cleaning lady did such a nice job cleaning.
Step 7: Decide “I DO WHAT I WANT!!111!!!” Fling crumbs into your mouth.
Step 8: Decide buttery, tequila-y graham cracker crumbs are good enough to just eat with a spoon.
Step 9: Press crumb mixture into a 9 inch pie pan. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool while you make the filling.
Step 7: Continue making a mess.
Step 8: Combine 3 egg yolks, (reserve the whites and set aside), 1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk, zest of 3 limes, 1/2 cup lime juice, 1 Tbs tequila, 2 teas triple sec in a large bowl and whisk until well blended and eggs are frothy.
Step 9: Splatter mixture all over your ice cream maker which you’ve neglected to put away since Saturday.
Step 10: Pour into pie crust. Meanwhile, put egg whites in the bowl of a large stand mixer and beat on high until soft peaks form. Add 1/2 teas cream of tartar and 1/3 cup sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form and meringue is glossy.
Step 11: Pour in 1 Tbs tequila because tequila is awesome. Mix until just combined.
Step 12: Spoon gently on top of lime mixture. Bake for 15-18 minutes. Let cool and refrigerate for at lest one hour before eating. Garnish with a gentle sprinkle of sea salt just before serving. Or not.
(Step 13: Clean up)
Step 14: Post on instagram.
Sober Sunday: Diwali Madeleines
Late October is a great time for food…between harvest season, the onslaught of pumpkin everything, Oysterfest, and widely available candy corn, there is much deliciousness to be had. Late October also brings Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights. In my universe, Diwali is always celebrated with a dinner of ridiculous proportions, ridiculously delicious recipes from the cookbooks of my friend Kunur’s family, and a quest for goat meat.
This year was the first time I was not playing sous chef so I had time to make a dessert. My mother’s go to for sweets after an epic meal were always madeleines, those simple, fluffy shell shaped cakes. But madeleines didn’t really fit into the cuisine. They’re kinda…French. Doctored with citrus and cardamom, however, they felt like appropriate fusion food to join in the family recipe feasting. Oh, and there is a boozy modification below, should you want one.
Orange Cardamom Madeleines
The secret to madeleines is the order of combining ingredients, and not over-mixing the flour. These should be done by hand, never with an electric mixer
For the madeleines
- 1/2 cup of melted unsalted butter (1 stick)
- 3 eggs
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 2 teas vanilla
- 3/4 cup plus 2 tbs flour
- 1 teas baking powder
- 1/4 teas salt
- 1 teas orange zest
- 3/4 teas ground cardamom
- 1/4 teas nutmeg
- 1/4 teas cinnamon
For the glaze
- 1/8 cup orange juice squeezed from the zested orange. Eat remaining orange. (for boozy baking, substitute with 1 Tbs orange juice and 1 Tbs Cointreau or Triple Sec)
- 1 teas orange zest
- 3/4 cups confectioners sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Melt butter. Brush madeleine pans with melted with butter. Set both aside.
In a large bowl, beat eggs; add sugar gradually and beat until smooth. Add vanilla.
In a separate bowl, sift flour with salt and baking powder and spices and zest. Gradually add to egg mixture.
Fold in melted (not hot) butter with a rubber spatula until just blended.
Fill pans about 2/3s full and bake for 7 to 10 minutes until edges are golden and cakes spring back when pressed.
Remove immediately from pans and allow to cool.
Meanwhile, mix confectioners sugar, juice and zest in a small bowl. Glaze should be thick. Brush onto madeleines. Let glaze set at least 15 minutes before serving/packaging.
