Chef Madison's Autumn Citrus Pie
CSSI Staff Post - September 25, 2020
I’ve always been a sucker for key lime pie. I remember eating it every single summer with my family. My sisters, aunts, and cousins would all have their own recipes, and we loved getting together to taste all our variations. The sweet and tart custard paired with the crispy crumbly crust was made all the better by the lightest topping of whipped cream.
I spent my childhood wondering why we couldn’t have key lime pie year-round. When I grew older, I realized it was because key limes are only in season during the summer. Recently, I got engaged and have started the frantic planning of wedding details. The menu is, of course, of top priority, and my love for key lime pie needs to be reflected on the dessert table.
However, I have decided to get married in October, not exactly key lime season. Luckily, the fall season provides an abundance of tasty citrus just begging to be transformed into pie. After testing a large array of citrus, including but not limited to mandarins, kumquats, and Valencia oranges, I finally came across the most delicious and seasonally appropriate citrus pie, second only to its glorious cousin, key lime. Below is the recipe for my blood orange grapefruit pie, which I have created with the perfect autumn crust containing cardamom and rosemary.
Ingredients - Serves 6-8
1 cup – graham crackers
1 cups – butter crackers (such as Ritz®)
½ cup – salted butter, melted
2 tsp – ground cardamom
2 tbsp – fresh rosemary, finely chopped
2 14-ounce cans – sweetened condensed milk
6 – egg yolks
½ cup – blood orange juice (2-3 blood oranges)
½ cup – grapefruit (1-2 grapefruits)
1½ tbsp – blood orange zest
1½ tbsp – grapefruit zest
2 cups – heavy whipping cream
½ cup – powdered sugar
1 tsp – vanilla extract
¼ tsp – kosher salt
- In a food processor, combine the graham crackers and butter crackers. Pulse until fine crumbs form. A few larger pieces of cracker are fine, break them up with your fingers. Don’t over-pulse the crackers.
- Transfer cracker crumbs to a medium-sized mixing bowl.
- Add the melted butter, ground cardamom, and chopped rosemary.
- Fold the mixture together until all the ingredients are fully combined.
- In a lightly greased pie pan, press the cracker mixture into the pan, ensuring the crust goes all the way up the walls of the pan.
- In a 350°F oven, bake the crust for 10-12 minutes until it is lightly brown and begins to smell toasty.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk and egg yolks until just combined.
- Add the citrus juice and 1 tbsp each of the citrus zest. Fold mixture together until the juice is fully incorporated.
- Gently pour the mixture into the prepared pie crust. Carefully place the pie in the preheated oven. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 155°F. The pie will be slightly jiggly in the center. The pie will continue to set as it cools, but you do not want to overcook the custard.
- Remove pie from oven and allow to cool on a cooling rack for at least 4 hours.
- In the bowl of the stand mixer, add the heavy whipping cream and whip on medium speed until it begins to thicken.
- With the stand mixer off, add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract and kosher salt. Begin to whip and gradually increase speed until the whipped cream forms stiff peaks.
- Transfer the whipped cream to a piping bag and decorate the top of the pie.
- Garnish the pie with the remaining citrus zest.
- Slice into 6-8 pieces and serve.
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