SOURSOP KEY LIME PIE w/ Grape-Nut Speculoos Crust
Or Classic Key Lime Pie if you're feeling basic... :)
When it comes to dessert, sometimes I’m “basic”. Meaning, I order the same classic dessert over and over again when it’s time to cap my meal: Key Lime Pie. Side note, I’m petitioning to take away the negative connotations of being basic. Really, it’s about staying committed to what you like, to what’s tried and true. Key Lime Pie is amazing, full stop. I will keep eating it, full stop. HOWEVER, sometimes I want to be adventurous, a lot of time actually, and I wanted to offer this pie for my bakery. {Here’s my shameless plug: Follow Sweet Rabbit Bakeshop on Facebook and Instagram (@sweetrabbitbakeshop).
There are a few rules I have when writing a recipe, 1. I strive for perfection. I know, I know, you shouldn’t, but I am a Capricorn and can’t help it. It has to be the best I’ve ever had or close to it or dare I say BETTER! 2. It has to come from the perspective of who I am as a chef. For me, that’s a call to my roots and the roots of my people. How can I make this recipe as BLACK as possible?! LOL! For me, that means Afro-Caribbean, Afro-Latina, and African-American, and of course the vast inspiration from the African continent. 3. It has to be something I love. 4. Make it as plant-based as possible. Sometimes this means fully vegan, or a recipe with vegan ingredients. 5. Make it pretty. :) For this recipe, that’s exactly what I did! It’s perfect, it’s Jamaican, I love it, it’s vegan, and she is GORGEOUS!
The custard is a soursop lime curd enriched with coconut cream and condensed coconut milk, set in a grape-nut speculoos crust. Perfection. The custard is tart, sweet, and creamy. The taste, something familiar but with an element of surprise with the soursop shining through in all her glory. What’s even better, the custard is made on the stove, taking away any guesswork from using the oven. Really, an oven is optional because you can choose to bake your crust or not since this is a cold set pie.
Soursop ice cream is one of the most popular flavors in Jamaica and the Caribbean which really means any custard application would be amazing! It’s also known as Guanabana in other countries. If you’ve never had it before, it’s a little hard to describe. The fruit has classic tropical notes with hints of cheesecake/yogurt. Grape-Nut cereal in the crust is also a love letter to Jamaica and lends a malty flavor to the biscoff cookies. As a child, cereals like this were my favorite, ie. TEAM RAISIN BRAN. In Jamaica, Grape-Nut is sacred! I hope you try this recipe for yourself! If you’ve had soursop and it’s not your thing, simply omit it for a classic key lime pie. Let me know your thoughts below!
