Cooking with Missy: Emeril comes to the rescue

Today we have a family gathering and I think it's a potluck kind of thing, but I was asked to bring something very specific. A Key Lime pie. Huh?

Did I mention I don't know how to make a key lime pie? I think maybe--maybe I have tried eating one once in my life. If that, but never--and I mean never--have I tried to make one before now.

So I went searching on the internet this morning for a recipe to help me in my mission. What I found was Emeril's Key Lime Pie. You all know Emeril? The Chef on Food Network that loves to add energy and excitement to his cooking. He's got live music on the show and he gets excited when he adds spices and something that adds pizazz to his cooking so he says "Bam" as he does it. I love to watch Emeril. Emeril makes cooking fun and he's a smart business man as well, owning several restaraunts in New Orleans that showcases his flair for Southern cooking as well as a few others around the world.

So when I saw he had worked on a recipe for Key Lime Pie I couldn't wait to try it. If anyone could save me from my cooking nightmare, Emeril could do it! Oh and it looks so yummy. The topping is a sweet and sour mixture that I hope will taste better than meringue.

So here goes:

Emeril's Key Lime Pie

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick butter) melted
2 (14-ounce) cans condensed milk
1 cup key lime or regular lime juice
2 whole eggs
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 tablespoon lime zest

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a bowl, mix the graham cracker crumbs, granulated sugar, and butter with your hands. Press the mixture firmly into two 9-inch pie pans, and bake until brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature before filling.

Lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.

In a separate bowl, combine the condensed milk, lime juice, and eggs. Whisk until well blended and place the filling in the cooled pie shell. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes and allow to chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Once chilled, combine the sour cream and powdered sugar and spread over the top of the pie using a spatula. Sprinkle the lime zest as a garnish on top of the sour cream and serve chilled.

Pictures of my finished product. Not so pretty, but the pies tasted yummy and got rave reviews from all the family.




If you want to see the more detailed recipe you can visit Food Network here and leave a comment:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/key-lime-pie-recipe/index.html

My first attempt at a cake from scratch

I usually either buy a cake from the bakery or use a mix from the grocery store when a birthday rolls around our house. Well, today I have more time than money so I thought I would try to make one from scratch.

The recipe I used is a plain yellow cake recipe and it turned out good enough that I thought I should share it.

Ingredients
1 cup butter
2 1/2 cups white sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups buttermilk
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9x13 inch pans. Sift together the flour, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside.
2.In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk, mixing just until incorporated. Pour batter into prepared pans.
3.Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.