Margarita Pie with Crushed Pretzel Crust

[Darienne]

Recently in a topic, Graham Cracker Alternatives, someone suggested crushed pretzels which then led to the subject of the Margarita Pie, which caught my fancy big time. (I had my first Margarita summer before last and I really did like it. LOL.)

So, Margarita Pie. I googled it and the results, as usual, were varied. Not much sugar in crust or filling to more sugar than I could imagine. Most call for whipped cream and condensed milk. Oh, I don't know about that.

Who has a recipe for Margarita Pie that I might like to make?

[SylviaLovegren]

Key Lime pies usually have the condensed milk, which contains a lot of sugar, so not much is added. I don't know about margarita pies, but sounds like a key lime with booze and a salty crust. How bad could it be?

[Jaymes]

I remember it being pretty popular a few years back, and I know I even made it on several occasions. I remember adding additional lime juice so that it would be more tart than some. But I can't remember which recipe I used, and most of my books/notebooks are in storage.

So I'm monitoring this thread and hoping for some suggestions. As you say, a lime pie with booze and a salty crust was pretty good and thanks to this memory jog, I'm definitely in the mood to try it again.

[Darienne]

The pie is already made and in the freezer. Used this crust and this filling. Well, more or less. Omitted the green food coloring and the garnishes from each recipe. Very simple recipes.

Tastes...DH and handy-woman...were varied. She said too sweet and he said not enough lime juice. I said the freezer would make a difference in the sweetness and added one more tablespoon of tequila (oops, silver...had no gold) and some lemon juice (out of limes).

Short Rant: why are American cans of condensed milk 14 ounces (called for in recipes) and Canadian cans are 300 ml. 14 oz = 414 ml. Very annoying. Very annoying.

The filling tasted good to me unfrozen. Right. I picked the 'frozen' pie. But what's not yummy in the morning with Tequila, Grand Marnier (sorry, was supposed to be Triple Sec), condensed milk, whipped cream. What else does a woman need for a mid-morning snack?

Next time, I think I'll try the familiar condensed milk and cream cheese variation.

[Jaymes]

But what's not yummy in the morning with Tequila, Grand Marnier (sorry, was supposed to be Triple Sec), condensed milk, whipped cream. What else does a woman need for a mid-morning snack?

Lawsy me, does that ever sound good.

I've got to put Margarita Pie back into rotation!

[thirtyoneknots]

"Silver" has a higher chance of being quality than "gold" Tequila--gold is a term reserved to low-grade stuff. El Jimador is a not-too-bad, not-too-expensive 100% agave.

FWIW the term for quality Tequila with color would be "Reposado" ("rested" between 2 and 12 months) or "Añejo" ("aged" 12-36 mo). "Silver" "Plata" or "Blanco" Tequila will have more of the raw vegetal quality that makes it the common choice for Margaritas.

And don't ever be reluctant to sub high-quality orange liqueur such as Grand Marnier, Cointreau, or Señor Curacao for generic "triple sec", which is generally artificially flavored. This goes for making drinks or making pies

[Panaderia Canadiense]

Darienne - down here we get condensed milk in tins marked by weight, which is even more frustrating. When making key lime pies, however, I generally work on the assumption that they're 14 oz each (even though they're about 2 oz short). This means I've always got a perfectly tart pie with a hint of sweet - especially since I can't stand KLP of any type when it's too sweet.

For a margarita pie, I'd be making up the lost condensed milk with tequila and curacao or GM anyhow, and I'd be very tempted to separate out a couple of ounces of the mixture before shelling it up, and mix in a bit of grenadine. That goes into the shell first, followed by the rest of the mixture. (This is because I was taught that a small shot of grenadine is placed in the nipple of the margarita glass before the drink is poured in, allowing the drinker to regulate the sweetness of their beverage. Also looks pretty neat.)

[Darienne]

Darienne - down here we get condensed milk in tins marked by weight, which is even more frustrating. When making key lime pies, however, I generally work on the assumption that they're 14 oz each (even though they're about 2 oz short). This means I've always got a perfectly tart pie with a hint of sweet - especially since I can't stand KLP of any type when it's too sweet.

For a margarita pie, I'd be making up the lost condensed milk with tequila and curacao or GM anyhow, and I'd be very tempted to separate out a couple of ounces of the mixture before shelling it up, and mix in a bit of grenadine. That goes into the shell first, followed by the rest of the mixture. (This is because I was taught that a small shot of grenadine is placed in the nipple of the margarita glass before the drink is poured in, allowing the drinker to regulate the sweetness of their beverage. Also looks pretty neat.)

If I had to deal with weight versus volume on a regular basis, I'd be doing a cheat sheet which would be held on my fridge by magnets...as in my butter chart. One tablespoon weighs x oz, etc. Easier to weigh cold butter than to try to mash it into a dinky measuring cup thingy. So I would do it with the condensed milk.

I like your pie ideas. My margarita experiences are pretty limited: slushy Margaritas made with a raucous crowd of dog folks and making regular Margaritas for myself when I am tired and not really looking for a wonderful experience...more blotting out the day sort of thing. I'm not too fussy. Actually, I've never had Grenadine. I'll buy some and try it. My drinking life has been pretty simple and mostly non-existent in the past.