Atlantic Beach Ice Cream Pie: refreshing & no-bake for Wall of Heat 2024

Plus a pause on paid subscriptions.

Hi everyone, Ali here. Just wanted to pop in before SJ’s very July dessert to say that I’ve made the hard decision to take a break from publishing 40 Ingredients Forever and will be pausing paid subscriptions for now.

It is a complete privilege to be in control of how much I work and also very hard to try not to do it all, but my creativity is spread too thin right now for me to feel like what I can offer you here is worth your money. When something delightful worth sharing comes up, I hope you’ll be okay with a surprise post in your inbox. It won’t be regular, but promise to make it good.

---

From SJ:

I can’t claim to have improved upon Atlantic Beach Pie, the creamy-puckery citrus pie from Crook’s Corner in Chapel Hill, NC. With its shattery Saltine crust, silky condensed milk filling, and crown of barely-sweetened whipped cream — a study in contrasting but complementary textures and flavors — it’s iconic for a reason.

So while I have not improved on perfection, I have iterated on it. This is a frozen Atlantic Beach Pie. Like the original, the ingredient list is pared-down: You essentially need four limes, a pint of heavy cream, a can of sweetened condensed milk, and a box of crackers. But this is a summer dessert for the incomparable wall of heat that is 2024: It’s completely no-bake, a little more refreshing, and a little less rich than the original. 

The filling is still founded in sweetened condensed milk — a wondrous ingredient! — and citrus juice, but here, they’re mixed into whipped cream to make a tart no-churn ice cream that’s thirst-quenching in a way most ice cream desserts are not. The crust remains sweetened crackers, but this time it’s buttery Ritzes instead of Saltines because they stay softer and lighter in the freezer. 

The final flourish stays the same: softly whipped cream. Every ice cream, pudding, and fruit pie is better for it, and who am I to mess with perfection? (Well, erm, whoops!)

Atlantic Beach Ice Cream Pie

Makes one 9-inch pie (serves 8 to 10)

Crust

• 6 tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter

• 2 sleeves Ritz crackers (200g or about 60 crackers)

• 2 tablespoons (25g) granulated sugar

Ice Cream

• 4 limes and/or lemons

• one 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

• 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt

• 1 cup (227g) heavy cream

Topping

• 1 cup (227g) heavy cream

• 2 tablespoons (14g) confectioners’ sugar, or to taste

• lemon and lime zest, for garnish

1. To make the crust, melt 6 tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter in the microwave or on the stovetop. Pulse 2 sleeves Ritz Crackers (200g or about 60 crackers) and 2 tablespoons (25g) granulated sugar in a food processor to make fine crumbs. With the food processor running, stream in the butter and process until the mixture resembles wet sand and starts to hold together in clumps. 

2. Transfer crumbs to a 9-inch pie dish and press firmly into the bottom and up the sides of the dish with the pads of your fingers or the bottom of a ⅓-cup measuring cup. Freeze while you make the ice cream. Rinse and dry the food processor bowl.

3. Make the ice cream filling. Finely grate 3 tablespoons zest from 4 limes and/or lemons and transfer to a medium bowl, then squeeze ½ cup juice from the citrus and add to the bowl. Add one 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk and 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt and whisk until well-combined.

4. In the food processor, whip 1 cup heavy cream just until you reach stiff peaks (less than 30 seconds). Plop about a third of the whipped cream into the bowl with the sweetened condensed milk mixture and whisk to combine. Add the rest of the whipped cream and gently fold it into the mixture (use your whisk to make folding motions) until homogenous. Transfer to the pie dish and freeze until firm, at least 8 hours or up to 1 month.

5. When ready to serve, make the topping.¹ Whip 1 cup (227g) heavy cream and 2 tablespoons (14g) confectioners’ sugar to soft peaks. Top pie with whipped cream, then garnish with more lemon and lime zest. Store leftovers, tightly wrapped, in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Atlantic Beach Ice Cream Pie Ali Slagle's 40 Ingredients Forever

120KB ∙ PDF file

Download

Download

1. If you won’t be serving the whole pie, and you’d like to store leftovers in the freezer, top the individual slices rather than the whole pie (as unenriched whipped cream will become icy when frozen).