The other day I found myself trying to organize some of my digital photos. There are thousands...and thousands...and thousands. I've got happy clicking fingers thanks to my digital SLR. Anyway, I stumbled upon our pictures from Belize, which is where we went on our "babymoon" exactly three years ago this week. Crazy!
I was three months pregnant with our first son and we wanted to take a vacation that could give us some adventure and some relaxation. I didn't have any place particular in mind, though I was thinking someplace tropical would be nice. We had many adventurous travels under our belt by that time-- there were journeys through (parts of) the Middle East, a two-week safari in Africa, three-weeks in Southeast Asia, a boating adventure in the Galapagos Islands, trips to Guatemala, Costa Rica, Mexico, Scandinavia, Chile, Peru, caber-tossing at the Highland Clans Games in Scotland, a honeymoon in Hawaii...and so on. So, where to go? The decision was made for us when an amazing deal popped up on slickdeals.net. Round trip airfare from New York to Belize for $132...um, did I mention that was round trip? The tickets were booked. Immediately.
We went to Belize with our two close friends Ori and Jenn and we had a fabulous time. There was a visit to the Mayan ruins at Xunantunich, where the vistas were breathtaking and the temples dated from 700 AD. There was some "caving" too-- that was a first for me. We ventured into the interior part of the country and slept in jungle huts at the Black Rock Lodge. We canoed down the Macal river and yes, yours truly capsized...twice, despite the fact that I proclaimed myself to be "an expert canoer" and declined instruction prior to our departure. (They didn't mention the strong currents.) Matt and I took two days to visit the Caribbean part of the coast, and then we all reconvened in Ambergris Caye. We never made it to the Great Blue Hole (must go back), but we did some amazing snorkeling in the Belize Barrier Reef - the second largest reef in the world. And we ate.
The food was fresh, seasonal and had a local flare. There were Caribbean (ceviches) and Meso-American (empanadas) influences, a whole lot of hot sauce, refreshing smoothies and the world's best key lime pie I ever ate in my life. Believe me when I tell you I've eaten many-a-key-lime pie. It was also one of my daily cravings during my first pregnancy.
Now I know what you're thinking. Key Lime Pie was inventing in the Florida Keys, and not in Belize. Well, that may be true, but the cayes of Belize have excellent Key Lime Pie. It is a very tropical dessert and all the varieties I ate while on the islands were delicious.
A day after going through our travel photos, I found myself at our local Sunflower Market. Key limes were in stock and on sale. It got me thinking. It was time to make my own Key Lime Pie. I found the recipe for Steve's Authentic Key Lime Pie (this is what I ate non-stop when I was pregnant with No. 2) and adapted it slightly. I added a splash more key lime juice, topped the pie with the zest from 1 whole lime, and I baked the pie for 8 minutes at 325 degrees. I think the more "authentic" pies just chill in the fridge once the filling is added without baking it in the oven. But the thought of giving my son salmonella (from the raw egg) had me thinking twice. It's possible that the acidity of the lime juice kills anything that could make you sick, but I decided to use my oven and avoid taking that chance.
So decide for yourself whether you want to bake or not. Either way this is a great recipe that does right by the classic. Enjoy.
And now for a little Key Lime Pie. This recipe is adapted from Steve's Authentic Key Lime Pie in Red Hook, Brooklyn.
Key Lime Pie (Adapted from Steve's Authentic Key Lime Pie)
IngredientsCrust:
8 ounces graham crackers, crushed (a little more than 1/2 of a typical box)
4 tablespoons of butter, melted
Filling:
1 cup canned sweetened condensed milk, chilled
4 egg yolks, cold
1/2 cup key lime juice, cold (I added an additional tablespoon because I like it very tart)
Whipped cream, for garnish
Grated zest of 1 Key lime
Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
To make the crust, combine the ingredients in a bowl and mix well for 2 minutes. Mold the mixture into a greased, 10-inch pie shell and bake for 8 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the crust from the oven and allow to cool.
To make the filling, combine the milk and the egg yolks and mix well. Slowly add the key lime juice and mix just until incorporated. Do not overmix. Pour the mix into the pre-baked pie shell. Put it in the oven (still at 325 degrees F) for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven, let it cool. Top pie with Key lime zest. Refrigerate until set.
To serve, slice the pie and serve with whipped cream or serve plain.
Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
To make the crust, combine the ingredients in a bowl and mix well for 2 minutes. Mold the mixture into a greased, 10-inch pie shell and bake for 8 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the crust from the oven and allow to cool.
To make the filling, combine the milk and the egg yolks and mix well. Slowly add the key lime juice and mix just until incorporated. Do not overmix. Pour the mix into the pre-baked pie shell. Put it in the oven (still at 325 degrees F) for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven, let it cool. Top pie with Key lime zest. Refrigerate until set.
To serve, slice the pie and serve with whipped cream or serve plain.