GRAND FORKS — Evan Andrist won the 2023 Home of Economy Grand Forks Herald Pie Bake Off due to his obvious baking skills.
His ingenuity and eye for talent certainly didn’t hurt.
Case in point: “Not your nana’s key lime pie.”
Andrist competed in the third round of this year’s tournament with this delicious and oddly satisfying pie. This gave him enough points to advance to the championship round the following week and he won. This earned him his 2023 title, as well as his $500 gift card from Home of the Economy and his $500 gift from the Herald newspaper in the name of his sponsored Grounds business. You earned a card.
At first glance, it was clear that this was not your typical key lime pie. Are those candied red peppers on top? What are those red sprinkles?
As the Herald reported at the time, “The first bite was sweet, filling the senses with the bright, traditional flavors of key lime pie. But then came the low-grade spiciness of tagine and cayenne pepper. Yes, It’s cayenne pepper.”
This pie has a little kick, but not overpowering. By the way, the judges had fun too. His average review score was 33.5 points, which placed him fifth best among the 29 teams that participated in this year’s tournament.
“The whole thing is really well put together,” said judge Kristen Whitney, food and beverage manager at Canad Inns Destination Center in Grand Forks.
Throughout the holiday season, the Herald will be publishing some of the pie recipes entered in this year’s tournament. The following is “Not Your Nana’s Key Lime Pie” by Andrist.
Not your nana’s key lime pie
crust:
zest of 2 key limes (or 1 large lime)
3 tablespoons sugar
1-1/2 sleeve salty cracker
1 stick of butter (room temperature)
Place the limes in a medium bowl. Add sugar and pinch until the mixture is fragrant and resembles wet sand.
Finely chop the crackers in a food processor (some lumps are okay). Add crackers to sugar bowl and mix. Add the butter and mix by hand until it comes together like a dough.
Push into a 9-inch pie pan. Freeze for 15 minutes. Bake at 350°F for 10-15 minutes or until the dough begins to turn golden brown. Remove and let cool for 10 minutes (or long enough to make the filling).
filling:
4 egg yolks, chalaza removed (the white strings attached to the yolks are pronounced “crae-zoo”)
14 oz sweetened condensed milk can
1/2 cup lime juice
pinch of salt
Tagine seasoning (about 1-1/2 teaspoon)
Cayenne pepper (about 1/4 teaspoon)
While the crust is cooling, whisk the egg yolks, milk, juice, and salt in a bowl until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes). Pour over crust. Sprinkle tagine and cayenne on top. Bake at 350°F for 14-16 minutes or until filling is set. Refrigerate until cool.
topping:
spicy whipped cream
candied cayenne pepper
1 lime (thinly sliced)
Spicy whipped cream:
1 cup fresh cream
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
Add all ingredients to mixer. Whisk until stiff peaks form. Place in a piping bag and pipe fancy patterns onto the pie. Refrigerate until ready to eat.
I only used one bell pepper (below), but it was delicious.
Candied cayenne pepper:
1 pound cayenne pepper, sliced into quarters
1-1/2 cup white sugar
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
Aniseed 1/4
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Combine vinegar and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until liquid begins to thicken to a syrupy consistency, 5 minutes.
Add the peppers and bring to a boil again. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for another 5 minutes. Transfer to a container and store in the refrigerator for at least 3 days. Be careful not to eat it all before decorating the pie.
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