Have you ever had a kumquat before? I haven’t had one since I was a kid. I faintly remember a family member urging me to try this little orange, proclaiming, “You’ll love it!” I also remember the out pour of laughter when my mouth puckered from the super sour center. Kumquats are nature’s sour candies. The rinds are super sweet, and the inside pulp is very sour. You eat them by popping the whole little fruit in your mouth, and then spit out the seeds. I had alot of fun watching my son taste the sweet rind, then pucker and spit out the pulp. If you love sour candies, you’ll love these, otherwise just stick to preparing dishes with the sweet rinds, like I have done here.
I first came across kumquat pie in the cookbook, Cooking the Cowboy Way, by Grady Spears. I knew I had to try this great recipe after reading his love for it. The cookbook, Cooking the Cowboy Way, is a great cookbook that may be better suited on your coffee table than on your kitchen book shelf.
It has some of the most beautiful photography. Not only of delicious food, but also of amazing landscapes, livestock, and hunky cowboys. The book takes recipes from different ranches across the south. I had wanted to make this kumquat pie, along with a few other recipes. There is an amazing fish taco recipe I have yet to try, a delicious corn casserole that I made for Thanksgiving, and a great looking mole sauce I am planning to make. There are also a multitude of other great looking recipes. The kumquat pie recipe from this book comes from Sylvia Young, who won first place for this pie at the Kumquat Festival, held every year in Dade City, Florida. My recipe that follows is closely based on that recipe. I did take a shortcut and used a pre-made pie dough. However I added Sylvia’s pie crust recipe here. The basic difference in our recipes is that my modified recipe has a bit more orange juice and less lemon juice. Make sure that your pre-made pie crust or the pie plate you use is a deep dish. I used a regular nine inch pie crust, and had to use both crusts. So now you ask, Florida and cowboys? Well of course, the cattle industry in Florida is 500 years old and still a major part of our economy.
Yield: Serves 4
Crust:
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
Ingredients:
1 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup pureed kumquat rinds
14 oz can condensed milk
the juice of 1 lemon
the juice of 1 lime
the juice of 1 orange
8 oz package cream cheese, room temperature
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine sour cream and butter together in a bowl. Mix in the flour, but do not over mix. Form the dough into a ball and place into the refrigerator for a few minutes. Lightly flour your work surface, and roll the dough into a medium thick crust. Place the crust into a 9 inch pie plate and prick the crust with a fork. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool completely.
Beat the cream and sugar with an electric mixer until it is light and fluffy, and holds its shape well. In a separate bowl beat the room temperature cream cheese, kumquat rinds, milk, and juices until well combined. Now add the fluffy whipped cream and beat until it is well incorporated. Scoop the filling into the cooled pie shell. Refrigerate overnight before serving.