I have a horrible habit of filing recipes away, waiting way too long to make them. Especially with desserts. Being bombarded with so many drool worthy desserts on a daily (even hourly) basis it’s impossible to make every tantalizing image that comes across our screens. When I saw this in the November issue of Bon Appetite however, I had to try it. The color was gorgeous and the sugared cranberries scattered across the top were too adorable to ignore.

This pie is pretty, and fairly uncomplicated to make. If you’re strapped for time, you can make the pie and cranberries in advance and then combine when ready to serve.

The pie is rich and silky smooth, with a little crunch from the cranberries. We thought that is was also just the right tartness. Finished with a dollop of whipped cream it is perfect for a holiday gathering.

Cranberry-Lime Pie

Crust

Filling

Sugared Cranberries

For the crust, preheat oven to 350°F. Pulse cookies in a food processor until very finely ground (crumbs will measure about 1 cup). Add pecans; pulse until finely ground. Add butter and brown sugar; pulse to combine. Transfer to a deep 9″ pie dish. Using a measuring cup, press firmly onto bottom and up sides of dish. Bake until firm and slightly darkened in color, about 10 to 15 minutes. If crust slides down sides, gently press back up. Let cool.

For the cranberry-lime curd filling, Bring cranberries, 1 cup granulated sugar, and 1/4 cup water to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high. Reduce heat; simmer until cranberries burst and most of the liquid evaporates, about 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool. Purée in a blender until very smooth or process with food processor and press through a fine-mesh sieve.

Combine purée, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, eggs, egg yolks, zest, lime juice, and salt in heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (bowl should not touch water). Stir with a rubber spatula and scraping down sides of bowl often, about 8 to 10 minutes or until curd reaches 170-degrees and thickens enough cling to the spatula. Let cool until just warm.

Using an electric mixer on medium-high, beat curd, adding butter a piece at a time and incorporating after each addition, until curd looks lighter in color and texture, about 5 minutes. Scrape into crust and chill until firm, about 2 hours. Cover until ready to serve.

For the sugared cranberries, bring 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 cup water to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add cranberries and cook until barely starting to soften, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer cranberries to a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet. Chill until no longer sticky, 20 to 30 minutes.

Toss remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar and lime zest in a small bowl. Toss cranberries in lime sugar, and let dry for at least an hour. Store in an airtight container until ready to serve. Cranberries can be made up to two days in advance.

To serve pie, remove from refrigerator at least one hour before serving and sprinkle with desired amount of sugared cranberries. Serve each piece of pie with a dollop of whipped cream.