Key Lime Pie - anytime is a good time for a classic · Saturday August 8, 2026 by colin newell
Back in the 1980’s, Victoria B.C. had a restaurant called “The Herald Street Cafe…”
For many people, it opened the door to a level of cuisine exploration for locals that simply did not exist before.
Victoria residents were more likely to dine at Denny’s, White Spot and a handful of small mom & pop diners that plated hamburgers on the flat top with fries.
Things changed in the 80’s with the likes of Pagliacci’s, Goodies on Broad Street, The South Side Diner (however short lived…) and, heck, even John’s Place.
The Herald Street Cafe introduced us to hip dining, dishes like pasta vongole (pasta with clams…) and desserts like Shaker Lemon Pie… and while they never served Key Lime Pie, to the best of my knowledge, it would have fit in.
For whatever reason, I have been dreaming of Key Lime pie for months and I found Chef Brian Lagerstrom’s interpretation of this classic.
I have modified a few of the ingredients more suited to Canadian or European taste buds.
Sure, you could go to his website and check out his recipe – but like anything remotely like stuff you’d see on Pinterest, there are crap loads of ads that you have to sift through — and there are few things that offend me more: a gauntlet of ads you have to run through to see the flipping recipe! Yea, I’m talking to you internet! My food blog features no ads, no shills, no product placement and no BS! Enjoy your visit.
Let’s get into it! The pie is actually 3 things in one: A pie crust (suitable for a myriad of adaptation…) – the custard filling (again, adaptations are only limited by your imagination… and a whipped topping.
GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST
230g (2½ cups) graham crackers
25 g (3 tbsp) nonfat milk powder
30 g (2½ tbsp) sugar
4 g (¾ tsp) salt
65 g (4½ tbsp) butter, unsalted
65 g (4½ tbsp) heavy cream
Supplies – 9.5” Glass pie pan, neutral oil spray for pie pan.
Step 1 – preheat oven to 375 degrees (F)
Step 2 – gently melt the 65g of butter in a small pan – you do not want to boil or simmer the butter – just warm until liquid. Set aside to cool.
Step 3 – pulse/blitz the graham crackers, milk powder, salt and sugar in a food processor until they are the consistency of coarse sand – you are not looking for powder and you don’t want lumpy consistency either. Depending on your food processor, this could take 30s to a minute and a 1/2. Results vary depending on the gear you are using.
Step 4 – add the butter and cream to your food processor. Pulse for 15 to 40 seconds (results vary) – you want something that holds together when pressed (kind of like medium dry (or medium moist) cookie dough. [Consult the attached video for a better idea…]
Step 5 – prepare your crust in a 9.5” glass pie pan – this blog entry does not seek to identify the best method for making a graham wafer crust – consult the attached video for a very good view and approach to making a graham wafer crust. This was my first attempt at making a hybrid graham wafer crust and I was delighted with the results — and I am not a chef!
Step 6 – bake the crust for 12 minutes in a 375 degree oven – you are looking for a golden brown finish for the entire crust. Set aside to cool for 10 – 15 minutes.
Step 7 – Reset oven to 325 degrees (F)
KEY LIME CUSTARD FILLING
7 egg yolks
75 g (⅓ cup) sour cream, full fat
396 g / 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
120 g (½ cup) key lime juice, Nellie & Joes
2 g (¼ tsp) salt
Supplies – a medium sized bowl – steel or glass –
Step 1 – whisk all the wet ingredients in a bowl until smooth and well combined. Let the mixture rest in the bowl for 15 to 20 minutes (while the crust cools a bit is a good amount of time!)
Step 2 – Pour the custard into the pan on top of the graham wafer crust (as if there was any other way…)
Step 3 – You can “rest” the custard in the pan for a minute or two – or jiggle it gently to dislodge any bubbles, but bubbles are unlikely.
Step 4 – Bake for 17 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven. The edges, in to around the center 2-3 inches should have set like jello – and there can be a bit of a jiggle on the outer edges. Note: The pie will continue to set while it cools and chills but do try and get the outer realm to “appear” set. It is better to put it back into the oven for another few minutes and recheck the pie. It is actually challenging to “over-bake” a key lime pie. Use your best judgement and the accompanying video.
Step 5 – Critical! Chilling is extremely important with this pie! While you could refrigerate it for 2-4 hours and serve, it is significantly better if the pie is covered with stretch wrap and chilled overnight in the fridge. If there was one key element in the key lime pie, this is it. Chilling is imperative!
WHIPPED CREAM TOPPING
250 g (1 cup) heavy cream, cold
50 g (½ cup) powdered sugar
5 g (¾ tsp) vanilla extract
pinch of salt
Extras: lime zest, for topping
Step 1 – prepare your whipping cream – I use a KitchenAid mixer but you could do this by hand, with a hand mixer or a whisk (which would be hardcore!) We tend to shoot for “stiff peaks” and that is a pretty subjective term.
Brian’s recipe calls for 1/2 cup of powdered sugar. That is way too much for my Canadian taste buds – I’d start at around 1/4 cup of powdered sugar (which you add after you get your desired peaks…) and don’t forget your vanilla.
Step 2 – chill the topping overnight! (yes, you can sub in cool whip or tinned-compressed whip topping. You do you – there is no right answer.
Comments, Serving and Supply notes…
You can get the juice direct from Nellie & Joes – via Amazon in Canada or Walmart in the USA. The crust, once mastered, can be the base for any cheesecake or custard based pie – you’re only limited by your imagination. The whipped topping is total open to your interpretation and preferences. Go crazy.
Colin Newell in a resident of Victoria B.C. Canada and has been running this “ad-free” blog since 2007. If you enjoy these entries and recipes, please keep the love flowing with a comment or an e-mail… which I will respond to instantly!
Please leave some feedback - it strokes my ego!
Brown Butter Peanut Butter Cookies Re-Boot · Monday April 13, 2026 by colin newell
When I make cookies, I do not mess around. As someone who has company over — coffee guests… music students… my music teachers… there has to be something to put out that is going to satisfy and delight.
I’ll admit – I make good coffee. And there is nothing that pairs up with a big ole’ mug of black java than a cookie treat.
And I am torn between two worlds – peanut butter or chocolate chip. Sometimes I do both in the same cookie — there are recipes here for that – go look. Use the search button. It is your friend.
One of the key secret ingredients here is brown butter – brown butter is the charm. Making brown butter is outside of the realm of this blog entry – but suffice it to say, you need 115g of it — so you start with around 145g of cold or room temperature butter in a sauce pan… why this amount you ask? Because the butter is going to lose moisture as it browns. Google this subject for a tutorial.
Brown butter brings an entirely new dimension to any cookie. But oh no, we are not stopping there – our other secret ingredient is miso paste. Yes. Miso paste. Trust me.
Ok – once you have created your 115G (give or take) of the browned butter, let it cool a bit then put it in the fridge for a minimum of one half hour — it has to solidify again before the next step.
Dry Mix
What you could do while you wait for the butter to cool and solidify is prepare your dry ingredients.
That would be: 330g all purpose flour or gluten free flour. Up to you.
Add the baking powder and baking soda.
This recipe asks for 12g of salt (any artisanal salt will do…) – but I would back off on the salt a bit because there is salt in miso paste… so try 7G of salt, OK?
Don’t risk it — whisk it! Whisk your dry mix for several minutes – there is nothing worse than a batch of cookie dough that does not have the leavening and/or salt properly distributed.
Creaming the wet ingredients…
Pull your cooled brown butter from the fridge. Scrape it all into your mixing bowl (I use a kitchen-aid mix-master…)
Don’t forget the deep brown bits of the browned butter – this is where the magic is.
Add the 115g of the room temperature butter on top of this.
Add your peanut butter. Whether you use creamy or crunchy… that is a secret between you and your jar.
You could bend the rules here and mix in a blend of tahini or cashew butter… the sky is the limit. You do you.
Put in your sugars. It may seem like there’s a lot of sugar in these cookies. You’re not hallucinating. Apologize to your pancreas later.
Add the honey or maple syrup… then the white miso paste…
Cream on low speed for 5 to 7 minutes.
Do not add the eggs and the vanilla until after this initial creaming phaseOK – breathe. Add your egg(s) and vanilla to the mix and blend on low for 2 minutes or so.
Dry into Wet…
Add your flour mixture into your creamed concoction and blend on LOW until everything is just mixed.
Prolonged mixing will develop gluten and make for a less desirable cookie.
Jump down for baking instructions.
The Wet Stuff…
* 115g (1 stick) butter, softened
* 115g (1/2 cup) brown butter, cooled and semi-solid (start with ~145g to account for water loss)
* 350g (1 1/3 cups) peanut butter
* 185g (scant 1 cup) granulated sugar
* 185g (1 cup packed) brown sugar
* 25g (1 1/4 Tbsp) honey or Maple Syrup
* 65g (1/4 cup) white miso
* 90g (6 Tbsp) whole egg, beaten (about 1½ large eggs)
* 20g (4 tsp) vanilla extract
The Dry Stuff…
* 330g (2 2/3 cups) all-purpose flour or gluten free flour
* 7g (1 1/2 tsp) baking powder
* 7g (1 1/4 tsp) baking soda
* 12g (2 tsp) salt read extra notes above!
Baking!
Ok – here is where I go off script a bit. I chill my dough! I chill my dough for as little as 4 hours and as long as 24-48 hours.
After I mix the dough, I turn it out of the mixing bowl onto a sheet of (plastic wrap) saran wrap and fashion it into a “log”. The objective is to create a sausage-like wrapped log of cookie dough that is air tight. This batch makes enough dough for upwards of 30 cookies and I strongly advise against baking all of this dough at once unless you are feeding a small army. In my case, I have created enough dough for three baking sessions or more (small house here…)
I’ll reiterate: I like to chill my dough overnight. Whether or not you do this is up to you. I find chilled dough, say 24 hours worth, has a better flavor profile. I may be out of my mind – that is entirely possible.
For those of you who need immediate gratification, you can spoon out “balls” of dough onto a parchment covered cookie sheet.
The size of the individual dough balls is entirely arbitrary – some folks use an ice cream scoop. I use a tablespoon for a smaller cookie. This is entirely subjective.
I do not press the cookie dough down with a fork… that is old school. The dough settles and spreads quite nicely by itself.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes – or until a hint of golden browning appears at the base of the cookie.
Note - Cookies continue to bake while they cool – do not bake until they start browning at the top of the cookie!
Cool on the stove counter top for a minimum of 20 minutes before transferring to a wire rack – and then let the cookies cool further for an additional 10 minutes. Trust me: They need time to set up. Failure to acknowledge this patience-testing exercise will be rewarded with fall apart cookies… or cookies that seem to be under-cooked… they are not.
Enjoy!
Enjoy with black coffee or tea or even a glass of milk.
Colin Newell is a Victoria B.C. resident and long time coffee expert... his rambling has appeared everywhere from the New York times to the Wall Street journal, CTV Newsworld and in-flight magazines from carriers like Air Canada to Air Transat... he has been doing this blog thing since the dawn of internet time...
Best condiment ever - pickled red onions · Monday April 6, 2026 by colin newell
We have been embracing the Mediterranean diet lately… what is that you say?
The Mediterranean diet is a heart-healthy eating pattern modeled on the traditional cuisines of Greece, Spain, and Italy. It emphasizes plant-based foods (vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, legumes), healthy fats like olive oil, and regular consumption of fish. It limits red meat, added sugars, and processed foods, reducing risks of cardiovascular disease and supporting overall health.
So – who wouldn’t want that? So far we have found most of the dishes that we have cooked up to be mega-yummy…
… And that is yummy to the power of 6… for your math types.
This Spring and Summer we will be featuring lots of recipes and combos with this dietary approach.
Let’s start with one of our favorite condiments… Pickled Red Onions.
Make thy brine
- 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes or 1/2 teaspoon peppercorns or…
Mix this slurry together – you can sub in a wide variety of spices in lieu of pepper, pepper flakes, peppercorns…
consider rosemary, thyme, oregano… Better yet, make multiple batches and experiment to your hearts content.
Grab a red onion…
There are a variety of ways to slice up an onion — and I am not going to tell you that there is a right way or wrong way…
Suffice to say: Slice it up into 1/8” slices. And be careful!
Stuff as much of these onion slices into a 1 pint mason jar.
Pour as much of your brine as you need to just cover the onions — hopefully the onion slices top out at around 1/2” below the top of the mason jar. Ideally, the brine covers the onion slices.
Cover or cap the mason jar – stick it in the fridge for a minimum of 24 Hours – it will last for over 6 months… but trust me, you’ll use this condiment up quickly — and make more! You can put pickled onions on hot dogs, salads, sandwiches, hamburgers, in salads… and yes, as part of the sensible Mediterranean diet!Colin Newell is a Victoria resident and subject expert within the realm of coffee culture… his website is Canada’s original tome on the resource of home and office coffee…
We re-visit La Belle Patate - fine poutine on the West Coast · Saturday March 14, 2026 by colin newell
First open in late 2008 (bless their hearts!) La Belle Patate is at 1215 Esquimalt Road a block or two (maybe three) past the
Civic Center and Esquimalt’s original strip mall.
Their specialty is Montreal smoked meat sandwiches and Poutine.
Poutine – dish of French fries, topped with a thick beef (or vegan) gravy and a healthy scattering of cheese curds. And for those who feel that this might not be the most healthy combination of ingredients – We are completely ignorant to the fact that Poutine is a cruise missile with your arteries in the cross hairs. But good. So Good!And today we returned after a break… of a few years. Why?! – Why did we deny ourselves for so long!?
Walking through the doors, today, we were greeted with a hearty Colin Newell! (and Andrea! ) from Matty – We ordered two “Steamie” - the dreamiest of hot-dogs (dressed with kraut and mustard…) and a small order of BBQ Vegan gravied Poutine..
The hot dog is steamed and served on the standard bun with cheese, onions and any assortment of common condiments.
The Poutine, which arguably should be served on a skull and cross bones patterned plate, is as described above; fries, gravy, cheese curds… is so comfort food that every bite is yummy inducing. We washed it all down with a couple of samples of Matty’s private collection of Spruce Beer – - Spruce Beer is a carbonated water (with very little sugar ) and some curious botanicals. You love it or you don’t. I love it!
Lunch for two with more protein that is socially responsible – barely 14 dollars.
Matty is such a gentle giant – I regretted being away so long – but all the warmth and memories flooded back. No, you cannot have poutine every day – once in a while – when you need to feel the love that is all around you!Colin Newell is a Victoria resident (retired 2 years) and a big fan of friendly food and great coffee. With coffee mug in hand, he wanders the streets looking for the ultimate caffeine truth!
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Winter all food, fun and drink marathon begins - muffins updated · Tuesday October 14, 2025 by colin newell
I make my own muffins. Partially because I like to know what I am eating – and I have a hard time paying $2 for a muffin that contains stuff that I am not interested in… or may be allergic to. Lately I have been using Goat’s milk or Almond milk or a blend of the two.
Here is my recipe for Colin`s Kitchen Sink Muffins – they are healthy, rich in nutrients, low in fat, not quite vegan and if you are looking for daily regularity, they are as predictable as sunrise and reliable as gravity. Enjoy.
Dry Mix
2 Cups Whole Wheat flour and 2 Cups All-purpose Flour
1 cup Each; rolled oats, corn meal and (oat or wheat) bran (total=3 cups of grain)
1.5 Cups dark brown sugar (can be reduced to taste)
1 Tbsp Baking Soda and 1 Tbsp Magic Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp Kosher or Sea Salt
2 Tsp Organic Saigon Cinnamon
(Optional extra spices); 1.5 Tsp Allspice, 1.5 Tsp fresh ground nutmeg
Wet Mix
3/4 Cup unsweetened Apple Sauce
1/4 Cup Canola Oil
3 Eggs
1 Tbsp Vanilla
2 Cups Buttermilk OR 2 Cups Lactose-reduced 2% Milk OR 2 Cups Soy milk OR 2 Cups Almond milk OR 2 Cups Goat’s milk
Add Wet to Dry Mix – Do not over-mix.
Add from 2 to 4 cups of the fruit of your choice – I use finely chopped mango, or apple, or fresh figs, or anything in the way of frozen fruit medleys – the sky is the limit.
Put equal amounts in pre-greased or pre-Pammed pans – I use a pro-Ice Cream scoop for quantity management.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in a 375 degree oven – (or 22 minutes in a convection oven…) check for degree of done with a toothpick. Poke the muffins. If the picks come out clean, you are good to go. Let cool in pans for about 10 minutes and then air dry on cooling grid. Makes about 22 freezer ready muffins.The Coffee.bc.ca blog has been on the air for over 30 years! Edited and created by Colin Newell – long time Victoria B.C. resident and food/coffee/culture writer…
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