A Recipe As Easy As {Key Lime} Pie

Sometimes, I get so excited about something that I find it hard to sleep at night. A trip to a new place... the release of a new book the next day... whenever I wait for something it can seem like forever. Last night, I found myself tossing and turning because I was so thrilled to make this pie. Before I went to sleep I was looking at different food blogs and came across the recipe for this pie. It was too late to make the pie at that time, so I would have to wait to make it the next day. I could imagine it already... sour and smooth, served cold with a scoop of ice cream...

Before trying my first ever slice of key lime pie, I always thought that key lime pies should be green. I found out that key lime pies are actually supposed to be yellow, and even though I have always thought that these pies were hard to make, I realize now that making them is a breeze. They are so delicious, and I thought that they contained a lot of different ingredients to give them their distinct flavor.


All of the pie recipes that I have found do not ask for a lot of ingredients, and are very easy to perform. If you have a ready made pie crust like I did, then all you need to do is make the filling, which consists of beating the condensed milk, lime rind, lime juice, and egg yolks. Then, just pour it in the crust and bake it!

Ingredients:
4 egg yolks
grated rind of 3 limes
400 mL of condensed milk
125 mL/4 fl oz. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 Graham Pie Crust (I used the Keebler Ready Crust)

1. Set oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (160 degrees Celsius).
2. Beat the condensed milk, lime rind, lime juice, and egg yolks until well combined.

3. Pour the mixture into the pie crust, and bake in the oven for 15 minutes, or until the sides are firm but the center is still shaky.

4. Let it cool on a wire rack, and then place it in the refrigerator for at least two hours.*

*Note: The recipe said to leave the pie for at least two hours in the refrigerator, but when I took it out it was really wet and runny. I put it back in the fridge, and after a few more hours it became firmer.

My pie was very plain here, but you can add different toppings on it, like whipped cream, powdered sugar, and lemon or lime slices.

I think that if I do fall asleep tonight, I will surely be dreaming about this pie.

{Craypays... er, I mean Crepes}

When I wake up, I instantly head towards the kitchen to whip up something yummy for breakfast, whether it is something sweet like pancakes, crepes, and mini choco chip muffins, or other traditional breakfast food such as eggs and bacon.

To show you what my morning was like today, here is a never-before-seen preview of my new play entitled "The Big Sister Who Asked Her Little Sister What She Wanted For Breakfast, and The Little Sister Who Did Not Make Any Sense When She Said A Word That Her Big Sister Thought Was Made Up And/Or In Another Language."*

*Disclaimer: I am just joking. This is not a real play, and if it were, it would not be too successful. Not everyone thinks that a little sister mispronouncing a word is hilarious.

CAST

Big Sister
Little Sister

Mother

Act 1, Scene 1

(Little Sister goes into the kitchen and sees Big Sister peering into the fridge.)

Little Sister
What are you looking for?

Big Sister
I don't know what to make for breakfast. I'm looking for food to eat.

(Little Sister's face lights up)

Little Sister
I know! Remember before when you made something like pancakes, but it wasn't
pancakes?

(Big Sister looks perplexed and thinks, What is that? Pancakes but not pancakes...)

Little Sister
Remember? It was thin and we put chocolate and syrup on it? What was it called? Hmmmm..... (thinks for a few seconds) Oh! I know now! They were called craypays!

Big Sister
(stifles a laugh) What!?

Little Sister
Craypays? Creepeys? I forgot how to say it, but they were good!

Big Sister
(finally gets it) Oh! You mean crepes! (Bursts into laughter) What are... (giggles) craypays?

Little Sister
(smiles sheepishly) Oh! Ooops! Sorry, I meant crepes....(giggles)....craypays.

(Both sisters stare at each other until they start laughing hysterically on the kitchen floor, which is where they still are when their mother arrives)

Mother
What are you doing on the floor?

Big Sister
We're having craypays for breakfast.

Mother
What's a craypay?

End Scene

Ingredients
1 1/3 C milk
1 C flour
3 Tbs sugar (use less if you want to make savory crepes)
2 Tbs canola oil
2 eggs

To Make the Batter

1. Mix the eggs, oil, and sugar together.
2. Gradually add the flour while you are whisking. You need to have a batter with absolutely no lumps.
3. Keep adding flour until your batter is at a point where in it is thick and hard to whisk. Add milk bit by bit and whisk until all the ingredients in the bowl are mixed. The result will be a very thin batter.

Unlike other batter, like that of waffles and pancakes, you need a very thin batter for crepes.

To Cook The Crepes

You can use a crepe pan, but it is not necessary. You can also use a normal non-stick skillet. You need to make sure that your pan is hot before pouring the batter in. Also, before you pour the batter on the pan, grease it with a bit of butter.

Remember not to use a lot of the batter! All you need is enough batter to be able to fill the bottom of your pan (you can move the pan with one hand in a circular motion). Place your pan back on your stove and wait until the edges of your crepe have browned a bit. The time varies depending on the amount of batter you have, the heat of your pan, and the type of pan that you are using. It might take 30 seconds to cook one side of the crepe, but sometimes it may take more. If you are able to place a rubber spatula under your solid crepe, this means that it is cooked. Flip it so that the other side of the crepe is cooking.

Once you are finished cooking a crepe, you can serve it immediately or place it on a plate so that after you have finished cooking all of your crepes you will have a stack of them. Repeat these steps until you have used up all of your batter.

A crepe with chocolate sauce... yum!

Before I started making crepes, my mother reminded me not to make the crepes too thick, and I have to agree with her. I think that crepes taste better if they are thin, and not thick like a pancake.

After you have made your crepes you should look around your kitchen to see what you can out on top of your crepes. Let's face it, who enjoys plain crepes?

For people with a sweet tooth:
Fruit like strawberries, bananas, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries. You can use any of the fruit pie fillings or jam for crepes, like peach, cherry, and blueberry. If you want your crepes even sweeter, you can try sifting some sugar on top. Another kind of topping that I like is chocolate sauce. Try peanut butter, whipped cream, or maple syrup with some butter. You can even add some finely chopped nuts, like walnuts, hazelnuts, etc.

If you are not really fond of sweet crepes, than you can try some savory crepes.

For people who prefer things savory:
Scrambled eggs, smoked salmon, ham and cheese, and mushrooms and cheese

These are just some suggestions. Look around to see what you like - you might come up with a new delicious topping for your crepes.

{Happy Father's Day Scones}

Chocolate Chip Scones
Adapted from Hershey's

A few days before Father's Day, I asked my dad what his favorite treats were. After a bit of questioning, I asked him an extremely baffling one (but it might be hard just for me, in my opinion): Do you prefer cupcakes or cookies? He opted for the latter, because he said that he did not enjoy sweet things (if you ask me, I probably would have declared that I couldn't choose just one of them!) He never wondered why I was asking him all of these questions, which gave me great relief, because I knew that he would not assume that I planned on making a special treat for him for his Father's Day present. I have made cookies before, and I wanted to try something different. After looking through different recipes on the Internet, I found a great one about chocolate chip scones from Hershey's.


Ingredients:
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 1/4 cups flour
2 cups cold whipping cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons of melted butter
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips*

*Note: The Hershey's recipe requires dark chocolate chips. You can use dark chocolate chips if you like, but all I had were semisweet chocolate chips (although the scones tasted good with them too).


1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the chocolate chips.
3. Pour in the whipping cream and keep on stirring until the mixture becomes moist.

4. Add flour on top of a board or a flat surface like a counter.

5. Put the mixture on the board or flat surface and knead until you make a soft dough. This will take about two minutes of kneading.

6. With this dough, you can make three equal sized balls that will become seven inch circles after you flatten them with your hands.

7. Cut the dough into eight pieces.

8. Place the pieces on cookie sheets (about two inches apart).

9. Melt some butter and brush it on top of the scones.

10. Add some sugar on top.

11. Bake this in an oven for 15 to 20 minutes.

These scones taste good with many different things, like milk, ice cream, and tea (but not all of them at the same time!).

What mattered to me the most was what my dad thought of the scones. I knew he really liked them, because he said that they were really good. He was going to eat them for breakfast the next day, and bring them with him to work also! I think that this was my best Father's Day gift for him so far.

{Attack of the Cheese!}

It's effortless, it's delectable, and it's...

really cheeeeeesy!

Yes, it's coming for you. It knows that you can't resist it (I know I couldn't).

Yum. Served cold with blueberries on top? Of course. You are probably wondering how many slices I ate. Don't ask. Too many to count.

The thing that I like the about this cheesecake is that you can really taste the cheese. Some people add gelatin and other ingredients to their cheesecake, and there is more of that flavor than of the actual cheese in the cheesecake.

This blueberry pie filling was excellent, but the cheesecake also tastes good without it.

Ingredients:
1 Graham Pie Crust (I used the Keebler Ready Crust)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 egg
1/2 cup sugar
1 can (21 oz.) blueberry pie filling (optional)

1. Beat the cream cheese using an electric mixer until it becomes very soft. Add the lemon juice, sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat until they become incorporated. Add the egg, and beat it until it is combined thoroughly with the other ingredients.

2. Put the graham pie crust on a baking or cookie sheet, and pour the cream cheese mixture inside the crust. It is important to put the pie crust on a baking sheet because the aluminum that the pie crust is in will fold over on itself when you take it out of the oven.

Bake this at 350°F (180°C) for 20 - 25 minutes. Once you take it out of the oven, cool it for 1 hour over a wire rack.

3. Put the blueberry pie filling on top of the cheesecake. Refrigerate the cheesecake for at least 2 hours.

CAST

Me
My Younger Brother
My Younger Sister

Scene 1

BROTHER
Is the cheesecake ready yet?

ME

Sorry. After I take it out of the oven, it has to cool for one hour. Then I have to refrigerate it for at least two more hours.

BROTHER
(disbelief washes over his face)
What? NOOOOOOOO!


(Brother exits kitchen, and Sister enters soon after. She peers in the oven.)


SISTER
Is it finished now? I waited so long.

ME
Ummm.... I just put it into the oven.

SISTER
(dramatically) How long do I have to wait? I'm hungry here!

ME
After I take it out of the oven, it has to cool for one hour. Then I -

Sister
Never mind! It's too long! I'll just eat it tomorrow!

(Sister leaves and sulks in her room)

End Scene

The good news is, they really enjoyed the cheesecake (which they had to eat the next day, since they fell asleep while waiting for it).

{I Spy With My Little Eye, Something...Yellow!}

Can you guess what I will be baking today?

Here are a few hints: These treats have a thick crust, they consist of citrus fruits, and most of the people who I know would love to eat them at least four times a week.

No, um... it's not pizza (That's what my brother thought it was). Actually, I made...

Lemon Bars!

(Sorry, when I tried devouring this one I ended up destroying it a little...)


Whenever summertime draws near, I can just feel it. The temperature has gone up, the crickets are chirping, and then there is the occasional drizzle of rain. Riding bikes through the tranquil neighborhood, sipping refreshing lemonade poolside, an impromptu outing to the beach on a warm, sunny day - what's not to love about summer?


I felt very compassionate towards my little lemon bars - I know what it is like to be baked in an oven (the temperature here these past months have made me feel as if I was in a colossal sauna!) You may place the lemon bars in the fridge once they have cooled off. Let me tell you, biting into a cold lemon bar on a hot summer night is sheer bliss!

It's Lemon Bars Galore Here in My Kitchen!

I have had a sudden yearning to make lemon bars for a while now, and today I went to the supermarket to purchase the ingredients. Just looking at those cheerful yellow lemons filled me with glee!

Crust:
2/3 cup confectioner’s sugar
1 cup butter

1 3/4 cup flour


Filling:
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup flour
4 eggs
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 cup plain sugar



Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius)
.
Prepare a greased glass pan.

Crust:
1. Mix the flour and confectioner’s sugar together.
2. Add the butter and mix until it has a granular texture.
3. Press the combined ingredients down firmly on the pan.
4. Pop this into the oven for 20 minutes.


You can make the filling while your crust is still in the oven.

Filling:
1. Mix the flour, baking powder, and sugar together.
2. Add the eggs and lemon juice and mix them all together.



3. Pour the mixture over the crust.
4. Leave it in the oven for about 20 to 25 minutes.
5. Sprinkle some confectioner’s sugar on top once it is baked, and cut into the desired sizes.

*Note: You can put this into the refrigerator if you want so that it will be cool whenever you eat one.

Oh, the desire I had to be able to take one bite...watching them bake for 23 minutes was a bit agonizing. I had to wait in anticipation to find out how they tasted like.

I did not add confectioner's sugar on this one. Instead, I tried to use granulated sugar, but there wasn't a substantial distinction in taste.

So. Much. Sugar.

Mmmmmoist

I think that this is a delightful treat to create during the first few days of summer. Have a fantastic summer, and have fun making these lemon bars!