Atlantic Beach Pie

Are you drooling?  This pie has a luschious and lemony custard that sits inside a delightful crust of saltine crackers – a perfect combination of crunch, smooth, acid, and sweet.  So suprising and satisfying!

My daughter showed me this recipe from Our State magazine a few weeks before Easter and we both started drooling.  The photo on the front of the magazine is stunning.  I had to bake it!  I bought the magazine as soon as I could and was delighted to find the recipe on page 3, as I was standing in the check out line at the grocery store.  Easter was the perfect opportunity to share it with family and they loved it!  Then I had to try it at a DOG (Dutch Oven Gathering), our first in our new home state of North Carolina, after my sweet husband dared me to make it in our camp Dutch oven.  Yep, this recipe is a winner – and it is suprisingly simple.

This recipe will challenge those who require perfection, which is not a problem I have, but y’all this pie crust is impossible!  Making the crust is a mess, plain and simple.  I look at it and think, “There’s no way this is going to work.”  Every. Single. Time,  It is worse than a graham cracker crust.  Crumbling down.  Falling a part.   Frustraing beyond words.  Each time I bake it, I have to tell myself, “Don’t give up.”  Yep, the crust is a mess but trust me, it will suprise you by holding the custard filling and and adding delightful crunch to every bite.  The crust makes this pie awesome and worthy of cover photo for Our State magazine.  So don’t give up on the crust!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 sleeves saltine crackers
• 1/2 cup butter, room temp
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 cup fresh lemon juice (3 to 4 large lemons)
• 2 14-ounce cans sweetened condensed milk
• 8 egg yolks
• Zest of one lemon
• Kosher Salt
• Whipped Cream

1.  Prepare a 10-inch camp Dutch oven.  Cut a circle of parchment paper to fit the bottom of the oven.  Cut three strips of parchment paper, 2 inches wide and 16-inches long, to make lifters.  Fold the long strips in half, length-wise.  Place three long strips across the bottom of the oven to form a star in the center of the oven.  Lay the ends over the edge of the oven and secure with clothes pins.  Place circle of parchment on top of  lifter strips.  
2. Make saltine crust.  Take each sleeve of saltines and gently crush with hands, taking care not to pulverize into dust.  Chunks are good!  Pour into large bowl.  Add softenend butter and sugar.  Cut butter into saltines and sugar using two table knives or a pastry blender.  Work until butter is evenly distributed through out the crackers and are in chunks the size of the end of your pinky finger.  
3. Pour cracker mixture into prepared 10-inch camp Dutch oven,  With great patience, press the cracker mixture into the bottom and sides of the oven, using a one-cup measuring cup.  
4. Fire up a chimney of charcaol.  Bake pie crust at 350 degrees Farhenheit for 15 minutes – 13 coals on around the lid and 7 underneath.
5. Remove charcoal to let the crust cool.
6. Make the yummy custard.  In a mixing bowl, add lemon juice, sweetened condensed milk, egg yolks, and lenon zest.  Whisk together until all ingredients are incorporated and creamy.  
7. Pour custard into baked pie crust. 
8. Bake at 350 degrees Farhenheit for 25-30 minutes – 13 hot charcoals around the lid and 7 beneath.  Pie is done when a toothpick is inserted and comes out clean.
9. Chill completely.  The fast way is to put the hot Dutch oven into a water bath and add ice.  The slow way is to put the Dutch oven into the a cooler with ice or refriderator over night.  The pie must be COLD before serving.  
10. To serve the pie, remove from the Dutch oven.
11. Sprinkle with Kosher salt.  Garnish with whipped cream and a slice of lemon.  Enjoy!