Food - Drink
The Salty Crust Ingredient That Will Elevate Your Citrus Pies
By EMILY BOYETTE
Flaky pie crusts can be challenging to pull off, but a crumb crust is easy to make using any kind of cookies or crackers you choose. Oreos and graham crackers are popular and suitable for many pie fillings, but for fruity pies like lemon meringue, a different kind of cracker makes for more intriguing flavor contrast.
MyRecipes recommends saltine crackers for a crumb crust when you want a touch of refreshing saltiness, but not something as buttery as a Ritz cracker. Without salt, a dessert often tastes flat, and saltines balance out the tangy, sweet filling in citrus-based pies like key lime, orange, lemon, and more.
According to Food & Wine, chef Kelly Fields’ great-aunt developed her lemon chiffon pie during the Great Depression and used saltine crackers due to their low cost, and the flavor turned out incredible as well. While you can pulse the crackers with melted butter and that's all, some sugar in the mix can add decadence.