Long before I baked, crafted, and babbled my way into this lovely blogging community, I participated in forums online, where I chatted, gleaned tips, and made friends with women of all ages and walks of life, all of whom shared a love of frugal living. One of those friendships, now lost due to the fragile connections the internet is guilty of, gifted me this recipe. I am bringing it to you all now, but the credit belongs to Karen. I am not sure there is a better way to welcome summer than a sweet treat and a cold drink. Margarita Pie gives you both in one.
Crust
½ cup butter (plus 2 tablespoons for greasing the pie pan)
5 oz (1 ¼ cups) thin, salted pretzels, crushed finely
½ cup sugar
Filling
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened, condensed milk*
1 ½ tablespoon lime juice
1 ½ tablespoon tequila*
1 ½ tablespoon Triple Sec or other orange-flavored liqueur*
Drop of green food coloring (optional)
2 ½ cups whipping cream
*If you prefer to leave out the alcohol, simply increase the amount of lime juice to 2/3 cups. You can also use a homemade substitution for sweetened condensed milk. Simply bring ½ cup water, 1 cup sugar, and 3 tablespoons of butter to a boil on the stove. Add a dash of salt. Cool slightly and whisk in 1 cup of dry milk powder.
Generously grease a 9-inch pie pan. Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Remove and stir in the pretzel crumbs and sugar until well blended. Press this mixture firmly onto the bottom and up the sides of the pie plate, forming a ridge at the rim. Place in freezer to firm while making the filling.
Mix the condensed milk, lime juice, tequila, Triple Sec, and food coloring (if you use it) in a small bowl. Set aside. Whip the whipping cream until soft peaks form. Gradually fold in the milk/lime juice mixture until blended. Pour into the pie crust and freeze uncovered for at least 6 hours. Cover it until it is airtight and freeze for an additional 2 hours. Enjoy!
Nicola Alesandrini lives in Northern California with her family, where she spends her days chasing kids, enjoying bits of nature, and avoiding laundry. She’s a jack-of-all-trades who loves economical and ecological living. She writes and crafts whenever she can squeeze it in and she blogs about it all at Which Name?