Lime pie

Hate me if you want but I had a head start on spring green.

Still, I’m as woeful as the rest with the sleet and sorry mess of March thus far. Our winter ice ghost doesn’t look to be leaving anytime soon.

Relief comes in marking a cherished date. Before my oldest was born on Pi Day, March was just March, the big tease. We all know the real thaw doesn’t show up until May in this country. Since 1995, March in this house belongs to my Kate, who has inherited from her mother a love of fanfare.

Because of her birthday, I get to pull out her favourite purple and whip up some spring tones.

For those without cake and candles meet Jazzbo.

Jazzbo is a one man band, or maybe the answer to the meh in your day. Watch his movie, released this week from Brigade Visual Support. If he doesn’t put a spring in your step, you’re a lost cause.

Still searching for a sliver of the warm stuff?
Try looking for the green in your house.

Lime Pie

Tangy lime filling, buttery graham crust, white fluff on top a whole sweeter than the stuff you shovel.
Feeling springy yet?

What you need:

For crust:

• 1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons sugar

For lime filling:

• ½ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
• ½ cup sugar
• pinch kosher salt
• 2 large egg yolks
• 3 large eggs
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• grated zest of 2 limes

For the marshmallow:

• 1 envelope unflavoured gelatin
• ¼ cup cold water then another 1/3 cup water
• 1/3 cup light corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
•  ½ cup sugar
• 3 large egg whites

What you do:

1. Grease 9 inch pie plate. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. Mix melted butter and sugar with graham crumbs and pat into greased pie plate.
3. Bake for 8 minutes. Cool.
4. Make filling by whisking all ingredients together over medium heat, stirring constantly until it thickens. Don’t let it boil. You just want the edges to begin to bubble.
5. Pour filling through sieve onto crust.  Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until the filling is just set.
6. Increase the oven temperature to 450 F and move a rack to upper third of the oven.
7. Make topping first by sprinkling gelatin evenly over the ¼ cup water and allow it to soften for 5 minutes.
8. Mix 1/3 cup water with the corn syrup and ½ cup sugar over medium high heat in a pot fitted with candy thermometer. Put the egg whites in mixer and begin to whip. When the syrup reaches 245 F, increase the mixer speed and being to slowly (and carefully)  dribble the hot syrup into the egg whites, avoiding the beaters as you do.
9. Add softened gelatin to the warm pot (use the same one you did for the sugar syrup) and heat just until melted. With the mixer running, drizzle the gelatin into the egg whites. Then add the vanilla and continue to beat until the mixture is cooled, about 8 minutes.
10. Using a spatula, spread topping over the lime filling and bake until the topping just begins to brown, about 3 minutes.
11. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
12. Think happy thoughts of green!