Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Lime Pie or Lime Cheesecake



Lime Pie is a true delicacy and I am proud to tell the world I developed a recipe of my own to make it.
Yes, I developed a recipe myself because all the recipes I found so far had a method of cooking I did not particularly fancy and I wasn't even sure about the ingredients.
I also worked a bit on my curd recipe - and using curd and cream cheese and half of a packet of gelatin dissolved in hot cream, I got my delicious lime pie !
You could probably also call it lime cheesecake because of the cream cheese that went in it.
Besides this pie you see in these pictures I also made another lime pie, lemon pie and lemon/lime pie. All with graham crust.

Ingredients for the CURD:
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup citrus juice (lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit etc - to get that amount of juice you will need approx 5 lemons or 4 limes as they are juicier, but it all really depends on the size of the fruit)
1 stick butter
2/3 of the zest of the citrus fruit

Directions:
Beat the eggs with the sugar in a medium-large glass bowl and keep on a water bath (double boiler) for approx 10 minutes stirring almost continuously, preferably with a plastic or a wooden spoon as you do not want any metal to react with anything in your curd.
When the mixture has thickened start adding the butter 1 TBSP at a time, making sure it has fully incorporated before adding the next.
The curd will thicken even more as it cools down.
Add the zest at the end.
Pour in a container and keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Ingredients for the PIE:
The curd (you will need at least 2 cups curd )
the graham crust
2 packages of cream cheese (I always use fat free)
1/2 package of gelatin (4 gr)
1/2 cup hot cream to dissolve the gelatin in


The Graham Crackers Crust:
1 and 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
3 TBSP sugar
6 TBSP melted butter
*** Mix all the ingredients and press in your pie pan.
At this point you can either chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour before pouring the filling or you can bake it for 8 minutes at 350 F and cool down thoroughly before pouring the filling.
Works fine either way as I have tested both.

Directions for the PIE:
Keep the cream cheese at room temperature for 30 minutes before using as it is a lot easier to whip if not straight from the fridge cold.
Put the cream cheese in a large bowl and whip it for approx 1 minute.
Now start adding the curd to it a little at a lime with the mixer on low until all is fully incorporated.
Place in the fridge until you get the gelatin ready.
Heat the cream and when hot, pour the gelatin in it and stir for 3 minutes until fully dissolved and cool down in the fridge.
When cold but not fully set, incorporate in the curd/ cream cheese mixture.
Pour in the prepared chilled graham crust and let set in the fridge overnight for best results.
Decorate with whipped cream and serve !
Now you know how to make my curd pie or cheesecake !

7 comments:

  1. This must be really tasty! I might try this recipe soon!
    Congrats for developing your own recipe! :)

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  2. Thanks ! I suggest you try it with lemon curd first and add a few TBSP of orange juice to it (squeezed fresh from an orange)along with 1 teaspoon of the orange zest. It will be to die for !

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  3. N-am facut decat o singura data cheesecake si atunci am folosit pesmet in loc de biscuiti graham si branza de vaci in loc de "cream cheese" :D, nu prea stiam eu ce si cum :)
    Mi-am propus insa ca data viitoare sa fac cheesecake ca la carte si cred ca am sa incerc de aici "graham cracker crust". Insa n-am inteles: biscuitii ii pisez pana devin ca pesmetul sau trebuie sa arate ca niste granule?
    Nu prea stiu nici ce fel de branza sa folosesc, vad ca toata lumea pune Philadelphia (sau ceva in genul)? Mie mi se pare cam sarata (cel putin cea de aici)...merge in cheesecake? S-ar putea si cu ricotta/mascarpone? Nush... Help me, please, I'm totally lost!
    Daaaa...la cheesecake sunt varza! :)
    Pup!

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  4. Multumesc, Catalina, m-am mai luminat! :)
    Pai cam asa mi-a iesit prima oara, ca un fel de pasca, dar nu stiam daca asa trebuie sa fie.
    Am sa folosesc o crema de branza in gen Philadelphia, sunt destule in magazine, am de unde alege.
    Biscuitii imi plac si mie pisati cat mai fin, cum ai spus si tu, am intrebat pentru ca nu prea am inteles de aici, cred ca n-am fost eu atenta.
    Multumesc inca o data pentru explicatii, de-abia astept sa fac cheesecake, am sa incerc mai intai o varianta mai simpla, apoi am sa pot trece la chestii mai complicate. Saptamana asta inca nu, dar am sa fac in curand si am sa-ti spun cum mi-a iesit!
    Te pup, take care!

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  5. Ma bucur ca ti-am putut fi de ajutor, Raluca !
    Te pup

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  6. Buna, Catalina!
    Dupa ce m-am uitat cu mare atentie pe link-urile recomandate de tine (iti multumesc mult de tot!!!) si dupa ce am citit si alte materiale, am purces in sfarsit si iaca am facut si cheesecake...Abia acum s-a racit de tot, cu toate astea deja e gata pe jumatate :D
    Concluzia: destul de bun, insa (inca) nu suficient de bun de pus pe blog...:(
    N-am sa te plictisesc cu prea multe amanunte, ca e mult de spus...trebuie oricum sa imbunatatesc unele aspecte la cheesecake-ul meu...Pe scurt: la cantitatea de cream cheese folosita - 900 g - coaja de la o singura lamaie mi s-a parut cam putin, gustul si aroma nu suficient de fresh (apropo de "lime pie", ma gandesc sa inlocuiesc lamaia obisnuita cu lamaie verde)...200 g zahar...cam mult, mult prea dulce pentru gustul meu...Nu mai zic de frumoasa crapatura de pe mijloc :D... N-am urmat o reteta anume, am selectat doar ingredientele clasice, de baza...
    Oricum, destul de bine pentru prima incercare cu cream cheese, cand o sa fiu eu 100% multumita o sa pun si pe blog...si-ti pastrez si tie o portie mare :).
    Am vazut ca n-ai mai scris in ultimele zile, sper ca esti bine si astept sa revii cat de repede cu noi retete!
    Te pup!

    PS. Stii cumva mini-tartele acelea cu fructe de la Select?
    PS. Foarte tare kingarthur...

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  7. Sper ca totul a decurs bine la examenul de nursing, astept vesti bune :)
    Multumesc mult, Catalina, esti draguta, ca de obicei, dar cum sa-mi compui tu reteta de cheesecake? :) M-ai ajutat si-asa prea mult cu sugestii si cu link-urile acelea, stai linistita...foarte, foarte mult apreciez intentia ta oricum...
    Cred ca totusi mi-am subestimat prea mult cheesecake-ul, nu e iesit rau deloc, era gustos, avea tinuta, atata doar ca era prea dulce si ca s-a crapat putin...
    Mi-am dat si eu seama ca la cheesecake nu reteta in sine e problema, ci mai degraba timpul de coacere, cate minute mixezi compozitia si toate lucrurile alea despre care am citit pe site-urile americane si carora le-am dat poate prea putina importanta. Am vazut ca timpul de coacere + temperatura difera de la o reteta la alta, cu toate ca ingredientele sunt cam aceleasi, mai mult asta m-a incurcat pe mine. Cand stateam in Germania aveam si eu cuptor electric, foarte bine ma impacam cu el, nu dadeam niciodata gres...
    Iar cantitatea de zahar e chiar o problema la mine..eu niciodata nu pun atata cat scrie in retete, pentru ca n-as mai putea manca prajitura...
    Alt aspect, cheesecake-ul mi s-a parut cu mult mai bun astazi, dupa ce s-a racit si a stat o noapte la frigider...foarte foarte bun...
    Am sa refac reteta si o sa ma laud cu ea si pe blog - la momentul potrivit. Si am si o idee draguta pentru topping ;)
    Cam atat pentru moment.
    Pe curand, pup!

    PS. Am sa ma uit dupa umplutura cu cirese, m-ai facut curioasa...

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