Cranberry-Lime Pie

In case you thought we hadn’t shared enough pies recently… here’s the THIRD of the pies I made for Thanksgiving. I was eyeing the Cranberry Crumble Pie from Sister Pie, but when I read it in more detail, it just had a few too many steps for me to tackle along with the other pies. But the idea of cranberry pie really appealed to me and then lo and behold, Bon Appetit magazine’s Instagram account goes and posts this recipe for Cranberry-Lime Pie! It was fate! We had to make it. A little less traditional for Thanksgiving, but delicious none the less! Flavor-wise, it reminded everyone of a key lime pie – sweet and sour! The color screams cranberry, but honestly the lime flavor comes through the most. I think my family was a little skeptical at first (they don’t always embrace change so well…), but it ended up being a hit! This pie was also the easiest of the three I made, with a super simple crust and a filling that set in the freezer. And the candied whole cranberries on top might have been my favorite part!

Cranberry-Lime Pie

(Adapted from Bon Appetit magazine – Nov ’16)

Ingredients: 

• Crust
  • 4oz gingersnap cookies
  • 1 cup pecans
  • 6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
  • 3 tbsp brown sugar
• Filling
  • 16oz fresh cranberries, divided
  • 2 1/2 cup sugar, divided
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 egg yolks
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 2 limes, zested & juiced, divided
  • Pinch of salt
  • 3/4 cups unsalted butter, room temperature

Instructions: 

1. 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
   2. Grind cookies and pecans up finely in a food processor. Add the butter and brown sugar and pulse until combined.
   3. Pour into a 9 inch pie dish and using your fingers, press into the bottom and up the sides of the dish.
   4. Bake for just 10-15 minutes until darkened slightly.
   5. Bring 12oz cranberries, 1 cup sugar, and ¼ cup water to a boil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Then reduce heat and simmer for about 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until all of the cranberries burst and the mixture thickens.
   6. After the mixture has cooled, puree in a blender or food processor until smooth.
   7. Now whisk together the cranberry puree, eggs, egg yolks, lemon zest, lime juice, salt, ½ cup sugar, and zest from 1 lime. Place this mixture in a glass bowl.
   8. Bring water to a simmer in a pot of a size that matches your glass bowl. Set the glass bowl on the pot, above the water. Stir the mixture frequently as it thickens, for ~ 10 minutes.
   9. Now beat the butter into the mixture with a hand mixer. Once well-combined, pour into the crust.
   10. Place the pie into the freezer for ~2 hours.
   11. Meanwhile, combine another 1/2 cup of sugar with a 1/2 cup of water in a small saucepan. Bring it to a simmer, dissolving the sugar. Then add the remaining 4oz of cranberries. Cook for just 2-3 minutes, until the cranberries have started to soften, but aren’t bursting. Transfer the berries to a wire rack to cool.
   12. Now zest the remaining lime into the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar. Once the berries are cool, toss them in the lime sugar until well-coated. Top the pie with the sugared cranberries. Keep chilled until ~1 hour before serving.