Finger Limes - Citrus Caviar - Citrus Pop Rocks - Lime Boba

Finger Limes - Citrus Caviar - Citrus Pop Rocks - Lime Boba

Recently, Frieda's Produce sent me some Hatch New Mexico Chiles (see my post for Pork Chili with Hatch Chiles) and they threw in a carton of organic Finger Limes. They are described as citrus caviar. I had no idea what they were talking about...until I cut one open. As you can see, amazing little bubbles of lime emerge from this tiny lime.


See how the pulp comes out!!! My first short video (19 seconds) on YouTube.

One early morning, I was putting together my healthy afternoon snack in my new LunchBots divided tin and I grabbed a couple of these finger limes (I digress, but I love this little tin...I'll have to do a post on my many lunch containers). I cut them in half and threw them in the tin.

Fast forward several hours and I open the box. I immediately realize why these are called Citrus Caviar! The pulp comes out of the lime like little boba bits or pop rocks. It's so amazing. You squeeze them and it all comes out!

A quick Google search says that the LA Times talked about them back in 2009 (David Karp's article), but I must have missed it. KCRW's Good Food talked about them in 2010 (Nov 13, 2010 episode). Frieda's will be bringing them to grocery stores soon.

My snack photos above are from Instagram. I pulled out my macro lens tonight and shot a few photos. These limes are really small and so cute.

Originally from Australia and now grown in California, Finger Limes are described by Frieda's Produce as "tart, lemony-lime flavor with slight herbaceous notes." I describe them as "tiny lime bobas" and have a bit of rind flavor. They were little citrus bursts on my veggies, and I imagine they would be great in cocktails or atop a nice piece of fish.

Frieda's says the Finger Limes are coming to grocery stores soon. Be on the look out and ask your produce manager about them!

Disclosure: I received one free package of Finger Limes from Frieda's Produce. However, I was not compensated for this post and opinions are my own. I really am this enthralled with this citrus - and all citrus! I'm lucky to live in Southern California where we have so much citrus surrounding us (see California Citrus Tart)

Cranberry Persimmon Lime Galette - Tuesdays with Dorie

Cranberry Persimmon Lime Galette

I'm back on the Tuesdays with Dorie bandwagon. I was a little caught up in Bundt and dessert bar baking recently...I hope everyone had a great National/International Bundt Day yesterday! I apologize for missing several weeks of TWD...I hope I catch up on some rewinds.

For this week's Tuesdays with Dorie selection, Whitney, April, and Elizabeth of Celestial Confections chose Cranberry Lime Galette on pages 364-365 of Dorie's book, Baking: From My Home to Yours.

A simple pie crust.
Fall fruits.
A bit of ginger.
Yum.

I love the galette. It is quick and easy. I love the free form. Of course, I wax poetic, but I'm really just saying, "I'm lazy and don't want to stick this in a pie tin and flute the edges."

Because persimmons are the greatest fruit on the planet, I substituted the apple for diced kaki (Japanese term for persimmon). Yeah, JustJenn (kaki and banana hater) this one won't be left on your doorstep.

 

Check out the other Tuesdays with Dorie bakers and see their creations!

Recipe:
On Celestial Confections blog...or
Dorie's book, Baking: From My Home to Yours, page 364-365

P.S. Congratulations to Linda from Tender Crumb for winning my 39 11/12th birthday giveaway! She says she is going to use the Amazon gift certificate to buy a Bundt pan. Sweet!

Cream Cheese Pound Cake with Lime Glaze in a Rose Bundt - Williams Sonoma

Dear George Clooney,

Hi. You don't really know me, but I've known you from the days of Facts of Life. Detective Falconer on Sisters? My UCLA roommate and I planned our weekends around Sisters. When you got killed off? Oh, the pain and heartache. But then there was a little show called ER. Happiness again.

Anyway, I'm just saying I'm not a Johnny come lately girl. Um...unlike your recent cocktail waitress flings, I was actually alive when you started your career. Just saying...experience is a good thing.

So, if you do happen to finally realize that you really need a librarian and baker in your Italian villa...I'm here. And if you want to send me flowers, I'd like a bouquet of Rose Bundts. Like you being named People Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive (twice!!!), this Nordic Ware pan is totally the Sexiest Bundt Alive!

I made the William Sonoma's Cream Cheese Pound Cake with Lime Glaze. I don't know what happened, but I must have over beat the wet ingredients into a tizzy or something. By the time I slowly mixed in the dry ingredients, it was practically coming out of the KitchenAid bowl. Since the recipe was made to fit into the pan, I just threw in all the batter. Mistake. Luckily, I had some parchment in the oven to catch the overflow. So, note to self: don't over beat and don't overfill! :)

Isn't this sooooo pretty?

Enjoy this lovely pound cake with lime glaze. You can also use lemon as JustJenn does in her adaptation.

Recipe:
From Williams Sonoma: Cream Cheese Pound Cake with Lime Glaze

Creamiest Lime Cream Meringue Pie - Tuesdays with Dorie

For this week's Tuesdays with Dorie selection, Linda of Tender Crumb decided on Creamiest Lime Cream Meringue Pie on page 337 of Dorie's book, Baking: From My Home to Yours.

Have you checked out my friend Linda's blog, Tender Crumb? She's well on her way to being a superstar pastry chef! Everything she makes is yummy and pretty. And, as I learned after a trip with JustJenn, two food bloggers should not shop at Surfas together...it is simply an exercise in enabling. Linda is a UCLA Bruin too (Sproul Hall rocks!) Awesomeness!

I had some issues with the cream. You need to get it to 180 degrees....but I was using "new math" or something and only got it to 150 degrees.

First, my digital thermometer didn't work (hum, digital thermometers need batteries...duly noted). Then, I tried to use a candy thermometer and "manual/non-digital" thermometer. But I couldn't get it up to 180. Sure, I got thickness. Dorie says the filling "will start to thicken and the whisk will leave tracks." Dude, I had more tracks than Sid & Nancy. But I only had 145-150 degrees.

As I was trying to hold the metal pan over a double boiler with a potholder as well as the thermometer with the left hand, and whisk with my right hand, the pan kept moving around...letting out some of the steam. I was getting such a facial. Who knew the spa qualities of this dessert?!

Finally, after 12 minutes, I had a thick cream that tasted good and gave up on the temperature. It was cooked and wouldn't kill anyone, I decided! :)

I found that I wanted to make just a small dessert so I deconstructed it and laid some graham crackers on the bottom, the cream and a little meringue that I piped out and broiled a bit.

Thanks Linda for a fun pick! I'm going to try it again and make the full size dessert!

Be sure to check out the other Tuesdays with Dorie bakers!

Recipe:
Dorie's book, page 337, Baking: From My Home to Yours.
Linda's blog, Tender Crumb: Creamiest Lime Cream Meringue Pie

Pay de Lima con Facial

Oh dear. The post-turkey, ham, steak, garlic mashed potatoes, killer 6-loaf bread stuffing, cranberries, gravy, fruit salad, rolls, and way too much chips and dip... after-Thanksgiving bloat-fest. Oh yes. We mustn't forget the apple pie. The scale. Broken.

It took me awhile to get back to the kitchen and the gym. I tried to make some chocolate chip & oatmeal cookies (yucko) and some cappuccino brownies (sadly awful). I thought I lost my baking mojo. Sigh.

So, last night I grabbed some limes and made Pay de Lima (Lime Pie) from the delightful book, Dona Tomas: Discovering Authentic Mexican Cooking.

The pie was tart! Face puckering tart. But not sour, just "filled with citrus." If you are someone who ate lemons as a child (and as an adult), this is the pie for you! And since I am, it was!

1 teaspoon of fresh lime zest makes this a zesty pie!

Someone asked if it was a Key Lime Pie. No, this is a "Limes from my Dad's backyard" pie.

I mashed up a sleeve of honey graham crackers to make this crust. I think the pieces should be smaller and regular graham crackers (not honey), but it turned out "rustic."

The filling was made with 4 eggs, hella sugar, 3/4 cup of lime juice, zesty zest, a stick of butter and 15 minutes of constant whisking over a double boiler. Yes, I got pie and a facial!