Kiwi Lime Pie

Recently, I've been watching "Friends" on Netflix. As in, going through the entire series from start to finish. Comfort bingeing, if you will. Anyhoo, I got the fantastic idea to create recipes from the show. Like Salmon en Croute, which Monica makes for Rachel to serve Joshua. Or Phoebe's Chocolate Chip Cookies. Granted, Phoebe's Chocolate Chip Cookies are Nestle's Tollhouse's, so I'll have to do some playing around there. But first, Monica's Kiwi Lime Pie- 

The joke with Kiwi Lime Pie is that it sounds like Key Lime Pie, but with kiwi. Because "that's what makes it special". Of course, Monica forgets Ross is allergic to kiwi, lets him eat the pie, and the two of them end up in the emergency room. Classic "Friends". This is in Season 1 or 2, so this was the recipe that launched a thousand ships.

Then, I was at my local big-box store. I always check out their produce, because sometimes it looks amazing and it's usually cheap. I saw a big bag of limes. Right next to the limes was a box of the most gorgeous kiwis. How did they know?? Was this a sign? I stared, dumbfounded, at my good luck.  I'm sure other shoppers thought I was having a mini stroke. I picked up both the limes and the kiwis. This was happening.

Initially, I told the hubby I was making this to practice pie crust. I still haven't mastered that damn pie crust. I was all set to practice making the dough when I googled recipes for Key Lime Pie and found the majority had a graham cracker crust. Never having made a Key Lime Pie before, I took this to mean that the lime filling pairs excellently with graham crackers. This led to me choosing not to deviate, and therefore throwing crust-practice out the window. Let me tell you, graham cracker crusts are so much less complicated than traditional pie crust and beyond easy to bake correctly. 

And, the Internet was correct. The filling does pair impressively with graham cracker. 

Plus, "Look how pretty!". Hehe, another line from the show ---> The One with Rachel's Assistant

A word of advice on this pie. The crust is sweet and crumbly. The filling is also sweet, yet deliciously tart. You're going to want sweet fruit on top to balance out the tartness of the filling. Make sure your kiwis are soft when you squeeze them. The worst thing you could do is use hard kiwis to garnish the pie. Not only will the centers of the kiwi still be kind of crunchy, but kiwis are sour when they are not ripe. You'll end up with just a sour piece of pie. A nice, ripe, sweet kiwi, however, brings the correct balance, has a soft center, and will all around just knock your socks off. 

Soft kiwi, you are thy friend. 

Top with a dollop of whipped cream. And maybe a little lime zest to liven up the plate. Your tastebuds will love this summery combo.

I'm off to go for a semi-run! My knee has been feeling much improved, and my back, well, it's feeling less sore than normal. Between the 2 injuries, I'm starting back at square one on my running. As in run a quarter of a mile, walk a quarter, run a quarter, and so on and so forth for 2-3 miles. Injuries are the pits. It sucks starting over. I hate that I'm not going to make my running goal for the year. This is when I have to take a deep breath and be thankful I've at least been able to go walking during this time period. Patience, I tell myself. I will get back there. Eventually.

Our oldest nephew is coming to stay the night with us as well tonight. The hubby's excited. I see lots of video games in their future. As well as probably pizza, and a trip to the hubby's favorite frozen yogurt shop. You know, the shops where you can put as many candy toppings on top of your yogurt cup as your heart desires? Yes,  the hubby is truly a big kid at heart :)

Happy Wednesday!

Ingredients (makes 1 pie):

Crust-

1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs

2 tbsp sugar

5 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Filling-

1 (14 oz) can of sweetened, condensed milk

4 large egg yolks

1/2 cup + 2 tbsp fresh lime juice

4 fresh kiwis, peeled and thinly sliced

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Coat a 9-inch pie pan with cooking spray, set aside.

2. To prepare the crust, thoroughly mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter. Press mixture into the bottom of the pie pan evenly. Bake crust for 10 minutes. Remove from oven, set on a cooling rack, and allow to cool.

3. To prepare the filling, combine condensed milk, yolks, and lime juice in a mixing bowl. Whisk to thoroughly combine. Pour filling into pie crust. Smooth top with a spoon until filling is evenly distributed. Bake in oven for 15 minutes. Remove to cooling rack, as center will still be jiggly. The filling will firm as it cools. When the pie is completely cooled, garnish with the sliced kiwi. Refrigerate for 4-5 hours before serving.

4. Slice pie, and serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Printable Recipe

Recipe adapted from Epicurious.

Looking for other summery, fruity desserts? Try these!

Layered Strawberry Parfaits

Cherry Pie Bars

Watermelon Kiwi Pops

Linked to: Create It Thursday, Thank Goodness It's Thursday, Weekend Potluck, Foodie Friday, Foodie Friends Friday Linky Party, Snickerdoodle Sunday, Treasure Box Tuesday