It’s so cold out and it’s only March ! – I’m feelin’ like I need to head South. No, wait I AM South…ok, maybe a little further South. Let’s say The Keys. Ahhhh, that’s better. I am a mental traveler. There I was with my toes in the sand crisping up on the beach – no, that’s not my swimsuit. Ugh. OK, back to reality. To get into that suit I’m needing to not fall off my diet bandwagon. The Keys, The Keys, The Keys…how ’bout a little Key Lime Pie. Oh, no not that one – with like a dozen egg yolks and a pound of sugar. I can’t eat that! A cupcake. A little portion controlled slice of sunshine topped yumminess. It’s gettin’ warmer already. And with this one you’ll still be able to get into that swimsuit later, maybe even a 2-piece. Hey, a girl can dream!
Mimi’s Key Lime Pie in a Cupcake
Step 1: Gather the goodies. Including foil cupcake liners. We’ve got a couple of new ones here. There’s yet another type of Whey-Low I’m trying out. It’s for cold deserts and is finer to melt into ice cream and such. I thought it would work well in a cooked icing I plan to try (that’s another Blog). But for you, I’d use my Impossible Cream Cheese frosting for these. You may even want to add in a little lime zest. Next in the newbie line-up is True Lime, a powdered lime concentrate fat-free and nor sugar just dehydrated lime juice. Pucker-up!
Light that fire 325deg this time.
Make this filling and set in the fridge while you make the cupcakes. I’m not even going to bother with telling you how to make instant pudding – this is no different only with a few additions to make it ‘limey’.
Also, 4 whole (of 4 small squares each) graham crackers, crushed. Or just 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs.
If you’ve ever made angel food cake, these steps will sound very familiar. These are, in fact, little angel food cakes, and the foil liners make tiny cake pans.
Step 2:
Set out you liners (18 of them) on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle the bottoms of each with some graham cracker crumbs. This is healthy, so I’m not going to mix in a bunch of butter and sugar and bake them…no-no…ok, you can toast them a bit if you want. I didn’t.
Step 3:
Mix up the flour, powdered sugar and set aside. In a bigger bowl (NOT plastic) combine the egg whites, vanilla, salt and cream of tartar. Get whipping those egg whites into soft peaks. Sprinkle in the 3/4 cup of sugar slowly and continue to whip until the whites are glossy and firm.
Step 4:
Ooo, see, that’s no Easter Peep those are ‘stiff peaks’…glossy and firm. See the other bowl, yes I’ve got a fine mesh strainer I use as a sifter to ‘sift’ the flour/sugar mixture into the soon-to-be-batter. Shake in about half of it onto the egg whites and get a spatula and FOLD it in. Easy, don’t break the bubbles…now the rest, along with that lime zest…and f o l d.
Step 5:
Now scoop the batter into their little ‘pans’. Fill them near the top, I go around 3/4 full and then top them off evenly.
Step 6:
Bake them up for about 13-15 min until golden brown. No, I don’t have the patience to turn my pan half way thru. Oh, well.
Step 7:
Get a dowel (or skewer, or straw) and make a hole in the top of each while they cool. Go and get your icing together while they cool – or maybe you forgot about making the filling?
Step 8:
Since I have cake decorating stuff I use a plastic Wilton bag – you can use a zip-loc with the corner snipped just as well. I use a big glass to help me hold while I fill. I had to peel back the runt of the litter for a taste test. Now fill the bag with the lime pudding filling and pipe into the holes of the cooled cupcakes.
Step 9:
Mmmm, little lime flavored belly buttons – hee hee
Step 10…what no step 10? Ok, kinda obvious…ice the cupcake in whatever you came up with.
Finale: Look how yummy.
Ahhhh, where are my sunglasses. And a margarita…. Oh, and that swim suit? These babies are only…drumroll please… 47 cal/.2g fat without the icing. My icing today added on 101cal/10g fat. For a mini-culinary va-ca of 147 cal and 10.2g fat.
You may do even better with a little glaze instead. Try 1-1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1/2 tsp vanilla(or other flavor), 1-1/2 Tbl melted butter, and a little water. Whisk it up and spoon it on. That’s way fattening than my multi-step cooked icing.
Now, I can take a few steps to my lounge chair…hmm, maybe not. It’s still cold outside. Maybe I’ll just look at the pool from this side of the glass, and continue with my ‘mental travels’ – cupcake in hand.