Maxie was mortified.
I’ve been friends with Maxie for forty years. We met when we started tenth grade at Northeastern High School, in Elizabeth City. I was a loud fat girl, and he was a very quiet, studious young man, and one of the kindest, gentlest people I’ve ever known. A few years after graduating, we moved separately to the Triangle. Unfortunately, after a few more years, we lost touch.
During a class reunion, we reconnected. I wasn’t fat, but I’m still loud, and Maxie, although remaining quiet and sweet, had turned into a hunk. This time though, we didn’t lose touch and since then try to see other for lunch every month or so and are as close as we’ve ever been.
A couple years ago, I was honored and thrilled to be a part of his wedding. Maxie married Mark, whose heart is as big as his booming voice, and who is happy to take charge, make a fuss, or order another round, whatever’s needed at the moment. He’s also a darn good cook who loves to experiment and try new things in the kitchen. We bonded over our mutual love of tacos and astonishment at Maxie’s almost total taco indifference.
The last Tuesday of every month, their church has a potluck/community dinner. Everyone’s welcome for a meal, regardless of church membership and ability to bring a dish. It’s a pretty awesome tradition.
For June’s dinner, Mark had organized a dessert competition. They invited me to join Maxie as a celebrity judge, using the very loosest definition of the word, “celebrity”.
I made up a batch of my horseradish potato salad with peas and carrots, and Petey and I went to a potluck.
Petey was ecstatic, because there was fried chicken. I was pretty happy to find I had to sample ten desserts. There was a gluten-free peach cobbler, a brownie pie, two sweet potato pies (including the best sweet potato pie I’ve ever eaten—working on the recipe for it), along with some other treats, some great, some…interesting.
The winner was a light, citrusy, very unusual key lime pie Bundt cake.
Mark’s Key Lime Pie Bundt Cake
(originally from the website, Chef-in-training.com)
Ingredients
1 white cake mix, dry not prepared
1 small box instant vanilla pudding, dry not prepared
4 eggs
½ cup sour cream
½ cup sugar
¾ cup oil
¾ cup key lime juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 drops green food color if desired
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
12 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
¼ teaspoon salt
Zest of key limes for garnish
*Debbie here: to up the whole key lime pie vibe, add 2-3 crushed graham crackers to lime zest for garnish (optional)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease and flour a Bundt pan and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, pudding, eggs, sour cream, sugar, oil, key lime juice and vanilla. Beat for three minutes. Add green food color if you desire.
Pour into a Bundt pan that has been greased and floured.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 35 to 45 minutes.
Cool in pan on a rack for 5 minutes. Then remove from pan and cool completely.
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat on high until smooth. Spoon frosting into a piping bag and pipe the frosting over the top.
Sprinkle top with lime zest and graham cracker crumbs if desired.
So, why was Maxie mortified?
Because Mark made the winning cake.
And even though Maxie hadn’t been home when Mark baked the cake, and it was a blind taste test, my friend was convinced that people would think that the fix was in.
But nobody questioned Mark’s win. Because it’s a ridiculously delicious cake.
Thanks for your time.
Despite possessing a fair hand in the kitchen, I’ve never made a pie with which I was happy. I haven’t killed anybody, but nobody has ever asked for the recipe, or even seconds. Humdrum pies are my cross to bear. With grace and dignity I try to soldier on regardless of the back-breaking burden that fate has chosen for me (besides, my mom makes killer pies, and she’s very generous).
Almost at the end of our team’s pies Lisa brought around a green silky pie with flecks of lime zest visible. It was called a key lime fudge. They gave us all pieces and we chowed down. I and one other judge at my table loved it. It was almost like two pies in one. The top layer was tart yet sweet. The chocolate layer was silky and lingered on the tongue. I never would have predicted that key lime and chocolate would be so delicious and my very faorite out of a huge assortment of pies.
Apples can be problematic, cut them small enough so that they are cooked through. And taste them before you cook them. The last lesson was probably the most important.
4oz Dark Chocolate, chopped
I’d like to leave you with a tip. If you need a heat source to keep something hot, hollow out a large pumpkin, and cut holes around it, for ventilation. Place a Sterno inside the pumpkin and light. Then set you dish on top. It’s very festive. Thursday I’m going back for another contest. I’ll report back and let you know what happened.
bull city mom 