recipe independence movement has begun! key lime reconsidered!

inspired by key limes in the store, during a fourth of july weekend with ample time to cook, i embarked on a simple exercise in making a key lime pie.

I actually remembered to search the recipe in the grocery store, so that i didn't walk out without any necessary ingredients. Quick save, sweetened condensed milk! However, the same search made it seem like you could not make this without a graham cracker crust....this must be incorrect,there must be riffs out there that will work. Also, with fresh basil wafting thru the air, could i infuse the lime with some fragrance? Hmmm....remember i am not a professional.

further recipe research at home dug up very little in the way of alternative to the traditional....

it is the beginning of 'independence day,' and i will now create my own version!

First, i refuse the graham cracker crust, but would like to use something with a texture. I'll start with an almond-based pastry shell (similar in texture/process per MORO cookbook pastry tart, but with ground almonds). this is a double recipe simply because i can't tell with the 'g' how much this actually makes...and it seems miserly as written.

ultimately it's ground almonds, flour and powdered sugar (240g) with butter (150g) and egg yolks (2)--you will know when it seems like pastry dough. but it will probably work out anyways...they usually do.

(do you know the MORO cookbook? from the Moro Restaurant in London--my favorite restaurant i've never been to!)

http://www.moro.co.uk/moro/foodwine/cookbook.asp

grate chilled dough into pieplate (fill more than this, but you get the effect with this photo):

i pre bake basket weave crust in a hot oven for about 10 mins, prebake till just turning golden, then cool.

Full disclosure: i make the pastry dough by hand with a fork because i'm too lazy to get the cuisinart dirty (sorry jenni!), i am not afraid to put the fridge up higher to make the dough chill faster, and i only have a electric beater with one beaty-thing creating a bit of angst going into the next phase.

filling: (proportions gleaned from recipe surfing) : egg yolks (6), 1.5 cans sweetened condensed milk & key lime juice (6 oz liquid, approx a bag plus a few of little limes squeezed). beat it frothy starting with the eggs!

here's a fun discovery with the mono-beater--hold still and let the bowl spin!!!!

Am I bold enough to add basil to the filling??? sort of a Thai inspired idea...SURE, what harm can it do?

now to bake....15 mins (plus a bit on 350....)

and now...while it's cooling....

what to do with those egg whites...hmmmm. gin fizz anyone?