passion pie
This is a tropical mid-summer take on key lime pie—the classic flavor you love but with a passionfruit flavor in which sits inside a salty graham crust. The whole eggs and condensed milk paired with tart citrus juice (lemon or lime) leads to balanced flavors and a perfect custard texture.
Always taste a touch of the custard before baking; not all citrus is made equally, so the custard may be too sweet. You can add a touch more lime juice to balance the flavors. Just make sure you like the taste of the custard before baking it. Serve with whipped cream to take this dessert over the top delicious and having your guests ask for your recipe.
Recipe
MAKES: one 9-inch tart
INGREDIENTS:
Crust:
1½ packs (6.35 oz/180g) graham crackers or gingersnap cookies
5 tablespoons (50g) packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons (43g) unsalted butter, melted
3 tablespoons (43g) coconut oil, melted
Nonstick spray (see Note)
Filling:
One 15-ounce can (375g) organic sweetened condensed milk
2 large eggs at room temperature
1/4 cup (60g) fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup (70g) passion fruit pulp, strained of seeds
1 tablespoon lemon zest
Handful of edible flowers, here I used 10 white cosmo flowers
INSTRUCTIONS:
Place the graham crackers in a food processor and process into crumbs. Add the brown sugar and salt and pulse a few times, until thoroughly mixed. Pour the crumb mixture into a medium bowl, then pour in the melted coconut oil and butter, and stir together until a paste forms.
Spray a 9-inch tart pan or pie plate with nonstick spray, then line it with a circle of parchment paper on the bottom. Spray the parchment paper and sides of the tart pan or pie plate as well.
Pat the graham cracker mixture evenly into the prepared pie pan along the bottom and up the sides. Freeze for at least 20 minutes and up to several hours.
If you want to toast the crust, preheat the oven to 350°F. I recommend toasting the crust for more caramel flavor and better structure.
When ready to bake, remove the crust from the freezer, line it with parchment paper, and pour in pie weights (or raw black beans) so that the crust holds its shape while baking. Set the crust on a sheet pan and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the top is slightly browned and starts to smell fragrant.
Set aside to cool for 10 minutes or so. You can shorten the cooling time by putting the pan back into the freezer while you prepare the filling. (The crust can be made weeks in advance; just keep the baked or unbaked crust in a zip-top bag in the freezer and bake in a 350°F oven for 8 minutes for a baked crust and 12 minutes for an unbaked crust. Let cool for 30 minutes.)
Lower the oven temperature to 325°F.
To make the filling, in a medium bowl, whisk the eggs until combined, then pour in the sweetened condensed milk and mix thoroughly. Add the citrus zest, juice and passion fruit pulp, and stir until completely combined.
Pour the filling into the crust and place the crust on a sheet pan and decorate with edible flowers by laying the blooms on the filling, ensuring the blooms are flat against the filling or they will burn. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the custard looks set. If you jiggle the pan, the middle of the custard should move like Jell- O.
Let cool at room temperature for 1 hour, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours to overnight. The colder the pie is, the easier it is to slice. Just remember to remove the parchment paper under the crust before serving. Use a hot knife for slicing.
