Cranberry and lime pie

Recipe by Rachel Zammit Cutajar

Photo by Rachel Zammit Cutajar

This cranberry custard makes the perfect festive dessert. Sweet, yet tangy from both the cranberry and the lime, it pairs perfectly with the pecan and ginger biscuit base. Served with fresh whipped cream, this will keep guests coming back for more even though they’ve sworn they couldn’t eat another bite.

Cranberry lime pie

Serves 8

Ingredients

Crust

• 150g ginger biscuits
• 80g pecans
• 60g butter, melted
• 3 tbsp sugar

Filling

• 340g fresh or frozen cranberries
• 300g granulated sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 tsp lime zest
• 4 limes, juice only
• Pinch salt
• 160g butter, cut into cubes at room temperature

Garnish

• Sugared cranberries 
• 1 tsp lime zest

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Put the ginger biscuits into a food processor and pulse until you have a fine crumb.
3. Heat the pecans in a dry pan until fragrant. Add them to the biscuit crumb and pulse till you have a fine crumb.
4. Add the sugar and the melted butter and mix to combine.
5. Put the mixture into a pie dish and press up against the sides and the bottom making sure there is an even coat of biscuit. 
6. Bake blind for 10-15 mins until the crust darkens a little.
7. While the crust is baking, place the cranberries in a saucepan with 200g of the sugar and ¼ cup of water.
8. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat and allow to simmer for 15 mins until the cranberries burst and most of the liquid has evaporated. 
9. Puree till smooth and allow to cool.
10. Combine the cranberry puree, eggs, egg yolks, lemon and lime zest, lime juice and salt in a heatproof bowl over a pot of barely simmering water. Make sure the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl.
11. Stir continuously until the curd thickens and coats the back of a spatula, approx. 8-10 mins. Allow to cool until just warm.
12. Blend the mixture adding a cube of butter at a time until the mixture becomes paler in colour and the butter is used up. 
13. Scrape the mixture in the crust and smooth over with a spatula. 
14. Place in the fridge for at least two hours until set. 
15. Garnish with sugared cranberries and lime zest just before serving. 

The pie can be made up to two days in advance. Garnish just before serving.