“A really grown-up dessert” is how they put it in Brilliant Bakes, and Hairy Bikers key lime pie began with gin and lime cordial. So it serves six at around 620 calories, though most of that time is the pie sitting in the fridge.
Dave’s mam drank gin and lime cordial, and the chocolate lime sweets they ate as kids explain the dark drizzle on top. And the gin goes in twice, once into the lime filling and again into the glaze that floods over it.
Nothing about the filling goes in the oven, since lime juice and condensed milk set it in the fridge instead. So the acid has to do that work overnight, and cutting it after two hours gives you a pie that slumps on the plate.
Hairy Bikers Key Lime Pie Recipe
Description
A 23cm pie with an Oreo base, built in three chilled layers and finished with a gelatine-set lime glaze. And the chocolate goes on last, once that glaze is cold and firm.
Ingredients
For the Base:
For the Filling:
For the Glaze:
For the Chocolate Drizzle (optional):
Instructions
- Bake the base: Preheat the oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/Gas 4 and crush the biscuits, either in a processor or in a bag with a rolling pin. Stir the melted butter through the crumbs, then press the mixture into a 23cm flan dish and up the sides. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes and leave it to cool completely.
- Whisk the filling: Put the egg yolks in a bowl with the lime zest and beat until they are aerated and much increased in volume. Then whisk in the lime juice and the gin, followed by the condensed milk. Keep stirring until you have a thick, smooth batter that still pours.
- Chill it overnight: Pour the filling over the cooled base and put it straight into the fridge. And leave it several hours or preferably overnight, because this is where the pie actually sets.
- Make the glaze: Warm the lime cordial gently in a small pan while you soak the gelatine leaves in cold water until soft. Then wring the leaves out, stir them into the warm cordial until fully dissolved and add the gin. Strain it into a jug and let it cool completely before it goes near the pie.
- Flood and set: Pour the cooled glaze over the set filling while it is still liquid, then return the pie to the fridge. And wait until that layer is properly firm, since warm chocolate on a soft glaze will sink straight through it.
- Drizzle the chocolate: Melt the chocolate, butter and golden syrup in a bowl set over simmering water until smooth. Then let it cool to warm but still runny and drizzle it across the chilled glaze in lines. Keep the pie in the fridge until you serve it.
FAQs
Can I make it without the gin?
Yes, and it costs you less than you would think. Leave the 25ml out of the filling and the lime flavour barely changes, since 150ml of fresh juice is doing almost all the work there.
The glaze is the one to think about, because 25ml of gin in 150ml of cordial is a third of the liquid. So swap in more cordial or a splash of water and it still sets, though you lose the juniper edge.
Why is the filling not baked?
It is not a baked pie at all, which catches people out. And the condensed milk and the lime juice do the setting between them, because acid thickens milk proteins the way heat would.
That is why the overnight chill is not optional. Because two hours gets you a filling that looks set and runs when you cut it, so give it the night. And their banoffee pie leans on the same tin for its toffee, though that one gets cooked on the hob first.
Is it safe with raw egg yolks?
The yolks are never heated, so this matters more here than in a baked tart. Buy British Lion stamped eggs, which the Food Standards Agency says are safe to eat raw.
Without that stamp I would not serve this to anyone vulnerable. And keep the pie cold right up to the moment it goes on the table, rather than letting it sit out. And their lemon meringue pie takes the other route entirely, cooking its yolks for three minutes on the hob before they go near the case.
How is this different from their other key lime pies?
There are three, and they are not variations of one recipe. So Perfect Pies has individual zesty lime tarts, eight little ones set with whipped condensed milk and cream.
One Pot Wonders has a key lime pie with marshmallows, which is a different beast again. And this Brilliant Bakes one is the only one with gin, a gelatine glaze and the chocolate lines.
How far ahead can I make it and how long does it keep?
It suits making ahead better than almost any pudding, since it needs a night in the fridge anyway. So build it to the end of the glaze two days before, then add the chocolate on the day.
It keeps three days covered in the fridge, though the base softens a little after that. And freezing is not worth it, because the gelatine glaze weeps as it thaws, unlike their treacle tart, which freezes whole.
