During the pandemic, in the heat of when we were peaking in our numbers in New York, I taught myself to bake. Baking has never been my forte because it requires precision and patience, but with time on my hands not traveling on airplanes, it was one of the many silver linings that came out of quarantine. I began to bake for friends, taking my carrot cake, cheesecake and even a Sacher torte to those who braved it in the city. It was a chance to clear my head both while baking, and to have a destination to go to, as I dropped off my goodies. I’m not a big sweets person, so I would just save a slice for myself, to ensure I wasn’t going to food poison anyone. It felt productive to share food and was a way to connect with people I love the most.
The key lime recipe is adapted from the Minimalist Baker, and one that reminds me of my Dad. His favorite pie is key lime, and now we’re out of quarantine, I can’t wait to have the chance to make it for him. The filling is vegan, but there’s nothing like real whipped cream and using butter in the crust. Pamela’s does a delicious gluten-free graham cracker if you can find it, otherwise, the Whole Foods graham crackers do the trick. I would also suggest freezing this key lime, as it’s decadent about 5 minutes right out of the ice box.
