Atlantic Beach Pie

By msippigrl

Made famous by chef Bill Smith of Crook's Corner restaurant in North Carolina, this scrumptious pie has a filling similar to lemon or key lime meringue pies, but the thick, crispy, saltine cracker crust is what makes this one so special. It's the perfect balance to the tanginess and sweetness of the filling and whipped cream.

Ingredients

• For the Crust:
• 1 1/2 sleeves saltine crackers (about 60)
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, cut into thin pats and slightly softened
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• For the Filling:
• 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
• 4 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup lemon juice, or lime juice, or combination of both
• For the Topping:
• 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 5-6 tablespoons confectioners sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon instant nonfat dry milk powder, optional but recommended for stabilizing the whipped cream
• Coarse sea salt for garnish, optional

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Crush the crackers by hand, but not to dust. Add the sugar, then knead the butter into the mixture until fully incorporated and holds together like a crumbly dough.

Press mixture into a 9-inch pie pan. Refrigerate for 15 minutes; then bake for 16-18 minutes until the crust colors a little. Place on a wire cooling rack while you make the filling.

In a mixing bowl and using a mixer, beat the egg yolks and condensed milk together for 1-2 minutes, then add the juice and continue beating for another 3 minutes.

Pour mixture into the crust and bake for 16-17 minutes, or until the filling has set. Cool on the wire rack until lukewarm then refrigerate for several hours. The pie needs to be cold before adding the whipped cream topping or slicing.

For the Whipped Cream:

In a large mixing bowl and using a mixer, beat the whipping cream, confectioners sugar, dry milk powder, and vanilla until firm to stiff peaks form. Pipe dollops onto the pie, or just spread it out over the top. Garnish with thin lime wedges, if desired.

To serve, cut into wedges and sprinkle with sea salt.