Unbaked Ginger Lime Cheese Pie with Berry Sauce

Strawberries are here! And they are delicious as a sauce to this cool, creamy, tart pie. Later you can use blueberries, blackberries or pitted cherries to make the sauce, and eat it all summer long. Not that you couldnt make this in the winter too, with frozen berries, but this seems very summery to me.

Its very easy, too; almost no-bake, just the crust. Just remember to allow time for it to set and chill. You could omit the ginger if you dont care for it (or have it), but I have to say I love the combo of lime and ginger.

8 servings
30 minutes prep time; add 15 minutes for Berry Sauce
2 hours or more chill time

Make the Graham Crust:
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup unsalted butter

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Crush the crackers to fine crumbs. Melt the butter. If you are using a glass pie plate, the butter can be put right into the plate and melted in the microwave. Add the crumbs to the butter and mix well, until there are no dry crumbs left. Press them against the edges and bottom of the pie plate to form a crust.

Bake the crust for 10 minutes.

Make the Filling:
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon plain gelatine
400 grams cream cheese
the zest of 2 medium limes
2 tablespoons chopped preserved ginger
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup lime juice (the juice of 4 to 6 medium-large)

Put the water into a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatine over it. Let soak for 5 minutes.

Put the cream cheese, lime zest, ginger, sugar and lime juice into a food processor and process until fairly well blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the water and gelatine, and process again, until very well blended.

Scrape the filling into the cooled, baked crust, and chill until set; about 2 hours.

Make the Berry Sauce:
3 cups fresh berries
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cold water
1 tablespoon arrowroot or cornstarch

Wash and hull the berries, and put them in a pot with the sugar. Dont drain them too well; a little moisture ill help get them going. Bring them to a boil, and simmer  until they soften and exude enough juice to constitute a sauce. Mix the  arrowroot or cornstarch with the cold water, and pour it slowly into the strawberries, stirring constantly as you pour. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens. Let cool before ladling over slices of the pie.





Last year at this time I made Strawberry Gelatine.