Cooks of Calvary: Pat makes pie on a stick

by Pat Hallstrom

Several years ago on a visit to Florida, I had the most delicious piece of Key Lime Pie I’ve ever tasted at the Key Lime Bistro on Captiva Island! Another time we went to Sweet Melissa’s Ice Cream Place and had Chocolate-covered Key Lime Pie on a Stick. Yummy!

Later, my neighbor and I tried to cut slices of store-bought Key Lime Pie to dip them in chocolate, but it didn’t work out very well. We finally went to the Minnesota State Fair, where everything is on a stick, and hunted down the stand that sold them. But I still wanted to figure out how to make them myself. Then I found a great recipe online that shows how to make them in a cupcake tin. My neighbors love them, and I try to share them at our summer get-togethers. Our kids rave about them, and they really went fast at our reunion at the cabin this year.  I’ll try to get some more made for Labor Day! They’re just the right size for a sweet treat! 

Chocolate-Covered Key Lime Pie on a Stick

Ingredients for Crust

1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/3 cup butter, melted

3 Tablespoons brown sugar

Filling

1(14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

3 egg yolks

1/2 cup key lime juice

Chocolate Coating

1 1/2 cups semi-sweet or milk choc. chips

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a cupcake tin with 12 paper liners.

2. In a medium bowl mix the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and brown sugar until combined. Place 1-2 Tablespoons of the mixture into each of the paper liners in the 12 cupcake tins. I use the bottom of a small glass to press the crust into the tin.

3. In a medium bowl combine the sweetened condensed milk, egg yolks, and key lime juice until smooth.

4. Pour about 1/4 cup of the graham cracker filling in each tin. Bake for 15 minutes. Let pies cool for about 10 minutes and then place them in the freezer for at least two hours. after pies have chilled, remove the paper liners and place a popsicle stick in the center side of each pie return pies to a cookie sheet and freeze for at least another 3–4 hours. Once pies are thoroughly frozen, dip them in melting chocolate you can use store, bought melting, chocolate or make your own.

5. For the dipping chocolate: in a small deep bowl, melt the chocolate chips and oil in the microwave in 30 seconds intervals, stirring in between until melted, or you can melt the chocolate chips and oil in a double boiler. Dip the pies in the chocolate, completely covering the pie or use a spoon and drizzle it over the pies. Return the pies to the freezer until chocolate has set up and you are ready to eat. The pies will be good in the refrigerator for at least 2 weeks, but they will probably all eaten long before that!

Pat Hallstrom is a longtime member of CEFC and loves all the women at Renovaré. She is retired now, but was a former employee of 3M, Hallmark Cards, General Mills and IBM. Her daughter and 2 daughter-in-laws have far surpassed her recent cooking skills, but they often generously bring by the results to share.  Her very favorite activity is spending time with her daughter and 2 sons and their spouses, along with 4 grandsons and one granddaughter, whether they are eating or not!