Thursday, June 12, 2014

Welcome summertime: BEACH PIE Recipe



Apple or Pumpkin pie for fall.  Chocolate Cream or Pecan pie for winter. Berry or Beach pie for summer.



This fun, light pie is the perfect kickoff to summertime treat!  Beach Pie is a vintage recipe from the south.  It combines just the right zip of sweet, salty, and tang into one lovely pie.  A Saltine crust and a lemon lime filling make it light enough to want seconds but still sweet enough to fully satisfy.

Beach Pie isn't complicated.  It's more of an "assemble the ingredient" type of recipe.


I recently made this pie for a dear friend's bridal shower.  I was giving her this beautiful Anthro pie dish from her registry and I had to get my hands on the dish before I gave it away.  It is gorgeous and now I want one. 


Etched in the middle of the pie pan are the words: EVERYBODY LOVES PIE...because everybody loves pie.




My youngest little heartthrob, Titus, helped me make this pie.  These types of recipes are ideal for kids to assist with!  His favorite part was breaking up the crackers.


I absolutely delighted in watching Titus bake.  I've never watched baking through the adventurous mind of a boy.  He would measure off the ingredients and pretend that each ingredient was in war with the other.  As the sugar hit the softened butter in the bottom of the pan he would exclaim with sound effects, "and the battle is on!  Butter is getting destroyed by an intruder!".  His dialogue continued, talking to himself as he worked in a soft but animated voice.  His barely above a whisper exclamations could be easily missed but today he had my full attention. Watching him overfilled my being with mad love for this precious little one, who possessed so much heart within. 


 He carries a sense of wonder and imagination in all he does...even when baking a pie.  I'm sure I miss many of these moments as I rush through my hours, drowning out my kids voices with my to do list.  But on this day, I held onto every face expression and every word.  I watched his lips purse together as he made big sound effects, lowering the Kitchen Aid down, switching the lever with deliberate force and saying, "3,2, 1, fight!", as he powered on the mixer.  
Baking is a battle.  Who knew?  



Pie parts...

Saltine Pie Crust


Fresh-squeezed lemons and limes


Creamy filling


Fresh Whipped Cream


P.S.  This pie is famous for being served with fish.  Lemon and fish...you know how that goes.  We had fish that night with our extra leftover pie parts.


Beach Pie Recipe
via Chef Bill Smith at OurState


For the crust:
  • 1½ sleeves of saltine crackers
  •  to ½ cup softened unsalted butter
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
For the filling:
  • 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
  • 4 egg yolks
  • ½ cup lemon or lime juice, or a mix of the two
  • Fresh whipped cream and coarse sea salt for garnish
Preheat oven to 350˚. Crush the crackers finely, but not to dust. You can use a food processor or your hands. Add the sugar, then knead in the butter until the crumbs hold together like dough. Press into an 8-inch pie pan. Chill for 15 minutes, then bake for 18 minutes or until the crust colors a little. While the crust is cooling (it doesn’t need to be cold), beat the egg yolks into the milk, then beat in the citrus juice. It is important to completely combine these ingredients. Pour into the shell and bake for 16 minutes until the filling has set. The pie needs to be completely cold to be sliced. Serve with fresh whipped cream and a sprinkling of sea salt. Yields one pie.


I also gave my friend this beautiful Anthro measuring cup for their wedding.  It matches the plate.  I want it too.  But at least I took pictures for my blog. :) 



Now it's pie perfect, ready to take to the bridal shower!  It was a truly lovely celebration. (delicious tiramisu made by Carrie!)






Enjoy your pie-eating summer: 
berries, creamy lemon,
 whipped cream, 
and whatever else fits into a summer pie crust.  

Because, everybody loves pie.

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3 comments:

Dori at The Red Feedsack said...

Good morning Lisa,

This pie looks so yummy! We are in berry season here in Tennessee - finished up our strawberry picking and now into blueberries. So I've been thinking a berry pie but this citrus pie might have to be made first!

I have quite a large supply of Anthro things in my kitchen, but I don't have that pie plate (but I do have a couple others!!). However, I DO have that measuring pitcher and I use it ALL THE TIME. It is the handiest thing ever. My daughter in law started collecting the nested measuring cups that Anthropologie started making about 5 years ago and she has them all displayed in her china cabinet. They are gorgeous. I also have a number of those too. Pier One makes the knock-off Anthro things but I learned from experience they do not compare, so not worth purchasing! :-)

Hope you are having a great summer!

Dori

P.S. Love those pictures of your sweet little boy helping you in the kitchen. Darling memories.

caveman said...

How is that the name "beach pie" makes me want this one again? And I can't tell you enough how cool it is that you keep our boys involved in the running of a dreamy household. You are the BEST!

caveman said...

How is that the name "beach pie" makes me want this one again? And I can't tell you enough how cool it is that you keep our boys involved in the running of a dreamy household. You are the BEST!