Lime in da coconut pie

In undergrad, I would make lemon/lime bars using Keebler Sandies cookies as the crust. I can't remember why I did it in the first place, probably because they were easy and my mom would always pack them in the groceries she sent back to school with me. After college, I stopped making citrus bars and subsequently stopped using shortbread cookies. This short backstory is only relevant because I was sitting in my apartment a while back, trying to think of ways to use up limes and I remembered my college obsession with citrus bars. I had some Nilla wafers on hand and knew I could construct a pretty bangin' lime pie. I call it a pie instead of a bar dessert, because I used a round dish and the lime filling is more custardy and less solid than one might expect of a bar.

Strangely, I don't think I took a picture of the finished product, which is crazy, I know. What's the point in a food blog? You'll just have to look at some of these process photos and trust me when I say that this dessert is easy and crazy delicious.

Start with mixing crushed wafers, coconut, sugar, and butter together by hand and then pressing the mixture into the dish. In college, I used only crushed Sandies cookies and a few tablespoons of butter or margarine, so you could do that too and call it a day.

That pretty crust goes into the oven for 10-12 minutes, just to firm up a bit. While the crust bakes, I whisked together the lime filling. Lots of juice and lots of zest are the key! Try to avoid the bottled stuff and use fresh limes. It really does make a difference in taste.

After I'd taken the crust out of the oven, I only let it cool a few minutes before pouring the filling into the crust and sticking it in the oven. No need to wait for the crust to come back to room temperature.

It's a lot of filling, so a small piece will do for most people. Most people. If you want to halve the filling recipe, I suppose you could. Instead of five eggs, do three or two eggs and a yolk. If you don't like coconut, skip the coconut and call it lime custard pie. A graham cracker crust is also delightful.

This is a tart, palate-cleansing lime custard with a chewy cookie crust and it's a perfect summery dessert. It reminds me of how I began cooking for friends and how much I love to share sweet treats with the people I love. Enjoy!


Lime in da coconut pie
(makes 10-12 servings)

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a deep pie dish (at least 2 inches deep) stir together:

• 1 1/2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs (about 6oz of crushed wafers)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut (if using sweetened coconut, skip the sugar)
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 3-4 tbsp butter, melted

When the ingredients feel kinda like wet sand, press the crust down into the dish. Stick it in the oven and cook for 10-12 minutes, just enough to let it set up. Take it out of the oven and let it cool for a few minutes.

While the crust bakes, whisk together:

• 3/4 cup fresh lime juice (I want to say I used 6 or 7 limes?)
• 5 eggs
• 2 tbsp fresh lime zest
• 2 1/4 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup flour

Pour lime filling into the crust and bake it in the oven for about 40 minutes. You want the top of the pie to be very firm to the touch. Take it out of the oven and let it cool to room temperature before serving it or putting it in the fridge. It's delicious at room temperature or chilled.

You can also sprinkle some powdered sugar over the top of the dessert, if you want to get the whole experience of inhaling and choking on the powdered sugar that so often happens with the classic lemon bar dessert. :-)