Last week we attended a retirement dinner for one of Ben’s coworkers. She is a wonderful teacher and friend, and we will definitely miss her! The theme for the meal was Mexican, so I brought my Mexican rice as a side, and this pie for dessert. I was so happy with how this turned out. It presents very well and makes for a nice cool, fun summer dessert. I was pleased that you can actually taste the alcohol, as it seems a lot of margarita-flavored desserts have not even a hint of tequila.
I will do a few things differently next time I make this. First and foremost, I will make it the night before I plan to serve it. Even though I made this early in the morning and it froze for several hours before serving that evening, the center was still noticeably softer than the outside edges. The alcohol obviously keeps it from freezing completely, which is good because the texture you want is frozen but still soft. I just did not anticipate it needing quite that long to freeze. Also, I will line the bottom of the springform with parchment paper or foil to prevent it from being frozen to the bottom of the pan. It was not easy to get the crust to come away with the rest of the pie. Finally, I will add more lime juice as well as some lime zest to bump up that flavor. It may be a strawberry margarita pie, but I would have liked to taste a bit more lime. I have indicated these changes in the version below.
Strawberry Margarita Pie
Ingredients:
For the crust:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup sugar
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
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
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