With Cinco de Mayo coming up, #margaritaweek is in full swing! Before we get into pie chats, a big thank you to Kate Ramos (Hola Jalapeño) for organizing, and you can check out everyone’s amazing margarita recipes here.
Ok now for this pie – I figured that since I am Pie Girl, a margarita pie made sense. I drew inspiration from a classic key lime pie, but spiced things up a bit with a little cayenne in the crust (it isn’t spicy, just adds a lil somethin), tequila and orange liqueur (because margarita) and finished it with flaky salt. There’s a salt rim on the pie plate as well, because why not.
This is a great pie for upcoming summer BBQs since it’s so light, fresh and festive. It’s pretty quick to make too, with only 20 minutes total baking time and a very straightforward process (aside from juicing 5 limes but IT IS WORTH IT).
So for any upcoming festivities, whether Cinco de Mayo related or just because it isn’t snowing anymore, don’t forget your pie with your tequila, or tequila with your pie. Cheers!
Ingredients (Crust)
- 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 7 tbsp melted butter
- 1/4 tsp sea salt, plus more for the pie plate rim
- Pinch of cayenne
Ingredients (Filling)
- 1 tbsp fresh lime zest
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 3/4 cups sweetened condensed milk (about 1.5 300ml cans)
- 2/3 cups fresh lime juice (about 4-5 limes)
- 2 tbsp plus 1/2 tsp of tequila
- 1 tsp orange liqueur (I used Grand Marnier since I already had it and it worked great, but triple sec and cointreau would also work)
- Pinch of sea salt, plus flaky salt for sprinkling
Steps
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9-10 inch pie plate (including the rim) and lightly sprinkle salt all around the pie plate rim. Tap off any excess on the rim and wipe out any in the plate.
Mix the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, cayenne and salt in a bowl and add the melted butter, stirring until it looks like wet sand. Press the mixture (minus a few tablespoons) evenly into the pie pan using your fingers and a spatula or the bottom of a glass to even out any bumps. Bake at 350F for 10 minutes and allow to cool on a wire rack.
To make the filling, start by zesting the limes into a medium/large bowl and add the egg yolks. Using an electric mixer with whisk attachments, beat until pale and thick.
Add the condensed milk and mix again until thick and combined.
Add the lime juice, tequila, orange liqueur and pinch of salt, and stir until fully incorporated, it will be a thick cream. Pour into cooled pie shell and bake at 350F for 11 minutes, until the filling has set. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack, sprinkle with flaky sea salt and enjoy!
Pie Girl Bakes 