Grapefruit Pie

Step 1

To make the filling: Put condensed milk and egg yolks in a large bowl, and stir slowly with a spoon or spatula to combine. You want to take care to not introduce air bubbles, so no whisking! Add grapefruit juice, lemon juice, and grapefruit zest and continue to stir until thoroughly combined. Allow the mix to sit for 1 hour at room temperature to give it time to thicken.

Step 2

Meanwhile, make the crust: Preheat the oven to 325°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Step 3

Place the flour, powdered sugar, salt, and beet powder into the bowl of a food processor and process for 10 seconds. Add butter to the bowl and process for 30–60 seconds. Stop when the mixture forms one mass in the bowl. If it’s not doing that, pulse in 10-second increments until it does. The dough is ready when it clumps together when pressed.

Step 4

Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and roll out to 1⁄2-inch thickness. This will become the large cookie that you will crumble for the crust. Place rolled dough on the prepared baking sheet and bake 12–14 minutes, until cooked through like a cookie but not browned. Immediately remove the cookie from the baking sheet and transfer to a cooling rack. When the cookie has cooled completely, break it up into large pieces and pulse the cookies in a food processor until they are sandy crumbs. Add the melted butter and pulse until combined.

Step 5

Press crumbs along the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie pan. Chill for 20 minutes in the refrigerator. Place crust in oven and bake 5 minutes. Remove and allow it to come down to room temperature. Pour in the filling. Bake the pie 15 minutes more. It will be a little loose when you remove it from the oven. Allow to chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before enjoying. Extra points for using a clear pie dish to show off the hue of the crust.