potato.”
“Right.” Hannah leaned back and took a sip of water. “We did the latticework crust pies, too. The blueberry won, remember?”
“It was good,” Willa said. “Usually they’re much too sweet. And the first group we tasted was the two-crust fruit pies. Does that mean we’re through?”
“Not quite,” Pam answered her question. “We still have to taste the novelty pies.”
Hannah began to frown. “Wait a second. Lisa told me that Marge Beeseman entered an apple pie. I don’t remember tasting it.”
“Neither do I,” Willa said. “We tasted five apple pies, and none of them were hers.”
Pam glanced down at the packet she’d received from the judging committee, and then she looked up with a frown. “It’s on here as a novelty pie.”
“Novelty?” Hannah was surprised. “But novelty pies are pies that don’t fit into any other category.”
“Or pies that have unusual ingredients,” Pam reminded her.
Willa thought about that for a moment. “Well, it certainly fits into the two-crust fruit pie category, so it must have an unusual ingredient. Why don’t you check the recipe, Pam?”
“I can’t. We don’t get the novelty pie recipes. They don’t want us to know what’s in them until we judge them.”
“Because if we knew the unusual ingredient, it might prejudice us?” Hannah guessed.
“That’s right.”
“But what could be that unusual?” Willa asked.
“I’m not sure.” Pam turned to Hannah. “Any ideas?”
“Several. Have you ever eaten my Mystery Cookies?”
“Lots of times. I love those cookies,” Pam stated.
“They’re the best spice cookie I’ve ever had,” Willa echoed the sentiment.
“If I’d told you the mystery ingredient, you might not have tasted them in the first place.”
“We already said we love them,” Pam said, “and we’re not about to change our minds. Right, Willa?”
“You can tell us the mystery ingredient now,” Willa said.
“Tomato soup,” Hannah said. And when they just sat there stunned, she got up to slice the first novelty pie.
KEY LIME PIE
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F., rack in the middle position.
The Crust:
Make your favorite graham cracker or cookie crumb crust (or buy one pre-made at the grocery store—I used a shortbread crust.)
The Filling:
5 eggs
14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest (optional)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup key lime juice *
1/4 cup white (granulated) sugar
*
Key limes are difficult to find. If your store doesn’t have them, look for frozen key lime juice. If you can’t find that, just buy regular limes and juice those.
If you don’t have lemon zest, DO NOT substitute lime zest, especially from regular limes—it can be very bitter and the little flecks of green aren’t very appetizing.
Crack one whole egg into a medium-sized mixing bowl. Separate the remaining 4 eggs, placing the 4 yolks into the bowl with the whole egg and the 4 whites into another mixing bowl. Leave the bowl with the 4 whites on your counter. They need to warm a bit for the meringue you’ll make later.
Whisk the whole egg and the egg yolks until they’re a uniform color. Stir in the can of sweetened condensed milk. Add the lemon zest, if you decided to use it, and the sour cream. Stir it all up and set the bowl aside.
Juice the limes and measure out 1/2 cup of juice in a small bowl.
Hannah’s 1st Note: Key limes aren’t easy to juice. They’re very small and a regular lime juicer won’t work very well. I just roll them on my counter, pressing them down with my palm, until they’re a little soft. Then I cut them in half on a plate, (so that I can save any juice that runs out,) hold each half over a measuring cup, and squeeze them with my fingers. It’s a little messy, but it works.
Add the 1/4 cup sugar to the key lime juice and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Now add the sugared lime juice to the bowl with your egg mixture and whisk it in.
Pour the filling you just
“Right.” Hannah leaned back and took a sip of water. “We did the latticework crust pies, too. The blueberry won, remember?”
“It was good,” Willa said. “Usually they’re much too sweet. And the first group we tasted was the two-crust fruit pies. Does that mean we’re through?”
“Not quite,” Pam answered her question. “We still have to taste the novelty pies.”
Hannah began to frown. “Wait a second. Lisa told me that Marge Beeseman entered an apple pie. I don’t remember tasting it.”
“Neither do I,” Willa said. “We tasted five apple pies, and none of them were hers.”
Pam glanced down at the packet she’d received from the judging committee, and then she looked up with a frown. “It’s on here as a novelty pie.”
“Novelty?” Hannah was surprised. “But novelty pies are pies that don’t fit into any other category.”
“Or pies that have unusual ingredients,” Pam reminded her.
Willa thought about that for a moment. “Well, it certainly fits into the two-crust fruit pie category, so it must have an unusual ingredient. Why don’t you check the recipe, Pam?”
“I can’t. We don’t get the novelty pie recipes. They don’t want us to know what’s in them until we judge them.”
“Because if we knew the unusual ingredient, it might prejudice us?” Hannah guessed.
“That’s right.”
“But what could be that unusual?” Willa asked.
“I’m not sure.” Pam turned to Hannah. “Any ideas?”
“Several. Have you ever eaten my Mystery Cookies?”
“Lots of times. I love those cookies,” Pam stated.
“They’re the best spice cookie I’ve ever had,” Willa echoed the sentiment.
“If I’d told you the mystery ingredient, you might not have tasted them in the first place.”
“We already said we love them,” Pam said, “and we’re not about to change our minds. Right, Willa?”
“You can tell us the mystery ingredient now,” Willa said.
“Tomato soup,” Hannah said. And when they just sat there stunned, she got up to slice the first novelty pie.
KEY LIME PIE
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F., rack in the middle position.
The Crust:
Make your favorite graham cracker or cookie crumb crust (or buy one pre-made at the grocery store—I used a shortbread crust.)
The Filling:
5 eggs
14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest (optional)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup key lime juice *
1/4 cup white (granulated) sugar
*
Key limes are difficult to find. If your store doesn’t have them, look for frozen key lime juice. If you can’t find that, just buy regular limes and juice those.
If you don’t have lemon zest, DO NOT substitute lime zest, especially from regular limes—it can be very bitter and the little flecks of green aren’t very appetizing.
Crack one whole egg into a medium-sized mixing bowl. Separate the remaining 4 eggs, placing the 4 yolks into the bowl with the whole egg and the 4 whites into another mixing bowl. Leave the bowl with the 4 whites on your counter. They need to warm a bit for the meringue you’ll make later.
Whisk the whole egg and the egg yolks until they’re a uniform color. Stir in the can of sweetened condensed milk. Add the lemon zest, if you decided to use it, and the sour cream. Stir it all up and set the bowl aside.
Juice the limes and measure out 1/2 cup of juice in a small bowl.
Hannah’s 1st Note: Key limes aren’t easy to juice. They’re very small and a regular lime juicer won’t work very well. I just roll them on my counter, pressing them down with my palm, until they’re a little soft. Then I cut them in half on a plate, (so that I can save any juice that runs out,) hold each half over a measuring cup, and squeeze them with my fingers. It’s a little messy, but it works.
Add the 1/4 cup sugar to the key lime juice and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Now add the sugared lime juice to the bowl with your egg mixture and whisk it in.
Pour the filling you just
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