Creamy Lime Pies

This week's assignment for my weekly on-line baking club, Tuesdays with Dorie, was Creamy Lime Pie. It really was the creamiest and dreamiest lime pie. But I'll never make it again. Never, ever. Oh, the hassle and the mess! First you whisk the lime custard over a bowl of gently simmering water, hoping that it will reach 180 degrees on your akwardly dangling candy thermometer that clanks into your whisk every time you circle by. After twenty-three minutes, yes, twenty-three minutes, I had the heat cranked up to high, the water boiling furiously (and this in the middle of August), as I continued to whisk. I think I hit 175 degrees at best, and hung up my gloves. Then the hot mixture must be strained into the food processor, and if you're me, then you lose a few globs of custard on the way in. And a few more globs on the way back to the saucepan. And by the time I was done with this custard, I had Creamy Lime Chaos all over the kitchen. And to think, I probably had less mess than most, since I didn't make crust. I had itty bitty purchased graham cracker pie tins in my cupboard, leftover from a mini cheesecake class I taught at church. So at that point, after scrubbing up the kitchen counters and washing the pans, and zesters, and juicers, and strainers, and food processor, I almost quit. But the pie was supposed to be topped with a billowy meringue. Normally when I make key lime pie, you use the egg yolks in the custard and the whites for the meringue. Sigh. Lovely and economical. Not so with Creamy Lime Pie. Whole eggs go into the custard and so you must begin again with egg whites. It always bothers me to be lopsided like that. I know how to use extra yolks and extra whites, but I really prefer it to all come out even and symmetrical. So I went with a whipped cream a topping, and a little sprinkle of lime zest. The pies were superb, heavenly, ethereal. But I'll never make them again. And if you decided to make them, give yourself plenty of time. And Formula 409. And Palmolive.
This will make it look easy:
Click here for the recipe, plus gorgeous photos.
Next Up:
The Very Best Grilled Pork Chop with Grilled Peaches