Food Network Magazine (April 2010)
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A few months ago, Todd and Keith, from Hawaii, offered to send us some Pacifikool Hawaiian Ginger Syrup, after we wrote about it back in February. We were super excited to try the Pacifikool and hugely thankful to Todd and Keith for sending it to us.
Then, just two weeks ago, PJ, a reader from Florida, offered to send us Florida avocados. Honestly, before her offer, we couldn't have told you that avocados grow in Florida. PJ has a tree in her backyard, and is experiencing a bumper crop this year, so she shipped some to her nephew in Seattle and offered us some as well.
We were so excited when the box showed up in the mail! We ripped it open to find that the avocados are huge. Like for real -- they're massive.
And look how pretty they were when they arrived!
Seriously, they're the size of dinosaur eggs.
A typical Haas avocado might be the size of an orange, but the ones we got from PJ are more along the lines of a grapefruit -- or even a small melon.
PJ shared several of her favorite recipes with us -- two of which we'll be sharing here in the next few days.
But first, we took the opportunity to make Avocado Pie, from Food Network Magazine's On the Road column. We thought it would be a fun way to show off our newfound fruits.The similarities to key lime pie are indeed striking. So striking, you may forget you're eating avocado.
In fact, if we had one gripe with this recipe, it's that it doesn't taste enough like avocado.
Like a key lime pie, this dessert is rich and creamy, tangy and tart. And we loved the buttery graham cracker crust. But it's a shame: We wanted a recipe that would really showcase these avocados. This pie essentially just masks their flavor.
We're excited to try some more of PJ's avocados -- and we'll use them in recipes that really show them off!
Avocado Pie
Food Network Magazine (April 2010)
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(This photo: Food Network Magazine)
Prep: 45 min
Inactive Prep: 4 hr 0 min
Cook: 15 min
Total: 5 hr 0 min
Ingredients
For the Crust:
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• Pinch of salt
For the Filling:
• 2 medium hass avocados
• 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• Pinch of salt
• Whipped cream or confectioners' sugar, for garnish (optional)
Directions
Make the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Brush an 8-inch springform pan with some of the melted butter. Mix the remaining butter with the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and salt in a bowl. Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pan. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Cool completely on a rack.
Make the filling: Halve and pit the avocados, then scoop out the flesh and chop. Transfer to a bowl, add the cream cheese and beat with a mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add the condensed milk, lime and lemon juices, and the salt and beat until fluffy, scraping the bowl as needed. Pour the filling into the crust, press a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface and chill at least 4 hours.
Remove the springform ring and slice the pie. Garnish with whipped cream or confectioners' sugar, if desired, and serve immediately (the top will start to brown as the pie sits).
