Pecan-ish & Key Lime Pie

I'm entirely aware that at the moment there's an imbalance and the blog looks a bit sweet-centric. I can live with this. This is because I've not been cooking much recently. A combination of really warm weather, and a hectic working week have made me a bit braindead by the evenings, and more thirsty than hungry.

Anyways. I can't take credit for these - they were the invention of The Boy. Well, the Key Lime wasn't; it's a Delia, and I've yet to find or envisage a better recipe for Key Lime pie than this. The pecan-ish pie? Read on.

Preheat the oven to a moderate 180c. The pastry, first of all. The rules: cold hands, big bowl. 130g plain flour sieved into a bowl. Add to this 2tbsp icing sugar and mix. Into this, dice 75g unsalted butter and mix until it resembles granular rubble. This is also very easy work in a food processor or KitchenAid. At this point, drizzle in a little cold milk and stir until it's combined. Press into a disc, wrap in clingfilm and place in the freezer for about 20 minutes. Now get on with the filling.

Chop 100g pecan nuts and 25g peanuts roughly, or just attack with a rolling pin. Scatter on a baking sheet and roast in the warming oven for about 5 minutes. In a bowl, whisk 4 large eggs and add 100g dark musocavado sugar. Then add a further 100g maple syrup and 100g golden syrup. Mix to combine, and then stir in 50g melted unsalted butter. At this point, if you have a good splash of bourbon to hand, it's a winning addition. If not, panic not.

Now, roll the pastry on to a floured surface. When rolled, drape across a lightly greased 23cm flan dish/pie dish/cake tin. Trim the edges with a knife, and pause to feel momentarily smug about your pastry achievement. Scatter the roasted nuts over the base, and pour over the mixture.

Place in the centre of the oven for about 45 minutes. It should be mostly firm, not liquid-y looking, and have risen, though will cool when set. Leave to cool. It's bliss however you approach it. In winter - and one year it was my Christmas day alterantive to the traditional pudding - I couldn't imagine it not being warmed with good vanilla ice-cream. In the height of summer, I want it cool, with a drizzle of single cream.

This was intended for an ironic 4th July Independence Day BBQ (the irony being that no-one there is American) which got rained off, allowing us to enjoy the Wimbledon ladies' final and our car breaking down. Marvellous.