Yummy Desserts

By Misha Lebell (TP Pastry Chef)

I like white nectarines, dark chocolate, dill, meatballs, hot sauce, quail, cinnamon toast, browned butter, and ice cream.

Baking at the Tyler Place is a demanding yet rewarding experience. All the hard work is worth it when I hear that a piece of my cake made someone’s day, when I finally get a finicky recipe just right, and when everything that could go wrong does and I’m able to keep a sense of humor about it. Desserts make people happy and it makes me happy to be the one dreaming up and baking sweets that will bring people joy.

The Tyler Place is a unique baking job for several reasons. I get to make a variety of baked goods from muffins to cakes to bread, which is relatively rare in the pastry world and keeps me from getting bored. I also have a great deal of creative freedom; I can pretty much bake what I want as long as ya’ll seem to enjoy it. We try to use local ingredients when possible including butter, flour, milk, rhubarb, and strawberries to name a few. Like the rest of the Tyler Place staff, the kitchen staff is largely international, which adds to the kitchen environment in interesting and fun ways.

I hope you find the baked goods delicious and memorable this summer. Feel free to contact me with feedback/suggestions/questions by visiting my personal blog at http://mishapiece.blogspot.com/.

Misha's Key Lime Pie

Servings: Serves 8

Ingredients:

Graham Cracker Crust:

2 cups ground graham crackers
2 Tbsp. honey
1/3 cup butter
1/4 tsp. sea salt

Filling:

4 egg yolks
1 can (14 ounces) condensed milk
2/3 cup fresh Key lime juice
1 lime , grated zest

Topping:

1 cup heavy or whipping cream , chilled
2 Tbsp. confectioners’ sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

To make graham cracker crust: Preheat the oven to 325°.
Break up the graham crackers, place in a food processor and process to crumbs. Add the melted butter, honey and salt and pulse until combined (or mix by hand). Press the mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch pie pan, forming an even layer on the bottom, sides and edge. Bake the crust for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the crust to cool.

To make filling: While the crust is resting, in an electric mixer with the wire whisk attachment, whip the egg yolks and lime zest at high speed until fluffy, or 5 to 6 minutes. Gradually add the condensed milk and continue to whip until thick, 3 to 4 minutes longer. Lower the mixer speed and slowly add the lime juice until incorporated.

Pour the mixture into the crust and bake for 15 minutes, or until the filling has just set. Cool on a wire rack, and then refrigerate for 20 minutes.

To make topping: Whip the cream, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla until nearly stiff. Evenly spread the whipped cream on top of the pie, and place in the freezer for 20 minutes prior to serving.