Strawberry Margarita Pie via Annie's Eats

First, can I say how much I love the site Annie’s Eats? It’s fabulous. Tons of great recipes, PLUS Annie responds to comments if you have questions. Neat, right? I love Martha, but Annie’s got her beat there.

I found this fab recipe last week while trying to figure out something fun to bring to a Memorial Day pool party. Strawberries + whipped cream + tequila = deliciousness. Done!

The filling was really quick and easy, but I had problems with the crust. My first try failed miserably. It just slid down the sides of the pan, and you really do need that high edge to hold in the soft filling. The second go round worked much better, and the trick was that I allowed the melted butter to cool completely and also added an extra graham cracker.

So, here’s the dessert porn:

Pros:

1) Delicious. You can taste the tequila, and nothing goes better with a sunny day.
2) Fairly simple and easy to throw together. Quick.
3) Doesn’t require a ton of ingredients

that's it, folks!

Cons:
1) Tricky crust
2) LOTS of dishes (see below)
3) This is most important, the pie HAS to remain frozen. Yeah. I went to serve the thing after it had been sitting in our friend’s fridge for a few hours, and it was a semi-solid mess. Still delicious, though, and the half-drunk group didn’t mind a bit.

overshare? maybe.

Strawberry Margarita Pie


(from Annie’s Eats. Visit and show her some love, ok?)

Ingredients:
For the crust:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (10 graham crackers, so 1 sleeve + 1 cracker)
1/3 cup sugar
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled.

For the filling:
2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
6 tbsp. tequila
1/4 cup triple sec
3 tbsp. fresh lime juice
Zest of one lime
2 cups heavy cream

For garnish:
Fresh strawberries
Lime slices or wedges

Directions:
To make the crust, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Butter the parchment, as well as the sides of the springform. In a medium bowl combine the graham cracker crumbs and sugar. Add the melted butter and toss with a fork until well combined. Transfer the mixture to the springform pan and evenly cover the sides and bottom of the pan with crumbs (use the bottom of a ramekin to even the bottom crust). Bake in the preheated oven for 13-15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the filling, combine the strawberries, sugar, condensed milk, tequila, triple sec, lime juice and lime zest in the bowl of a food processor. Process until completely smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Transfer to a large bowl. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream on high speed until stiff peaks form. Add one third of the whipped cream to the puree and gently fold in with a rubber spatula. Stir in the remaining cream.

Pour the filling into the crust, cover, and freeze until firm at least overnight. To remove the springform sides, wrap a towel soaked in hot water around the outside of the pan for 10-15 seconds. Carefully remove the sides of the pan. Before serving, garnish with fresh strawberries and lime slices as desired. To serve, slice with a hot, dry sharp knife, wiping the blade between slices.

Source: adapted from Manchester Highlands Inn via Hostess with the Mostess