Margarita Pie from Rancho de la Osa

Frozen dessert in the frozen north may not make much sense but it was very good and the perfect finish to a great company dinner. Calgary, Canada hit minus 30 while we were there with a snow storm crippling the city and stopping schools and businesses . . . but not us. We walked to the corner market to get the ingredients for Margarita Pie and covered every inch of exposed skin so our faces were barely visible. Brrrr. But it was worth it.

My sister in law, Kitty McLeod, added the two tablespoons of tequila and I stirred in the ingredients. Nephew, Alec McLeod, couldn't wait to add the whipped creme and limes.

Margarita Pie pg. 124 from Rancho de la Osa in Sasabe, AZ

Pretzel Crust
1 1/2 cups finely crushed pretzels
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted

Pie
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2 tablespoons gold tequila
2 tablespoons Triple Sec (We used Galliano since we couldn't buy Triple Sec at the corner market. Is that a NO NO in the liquer world??)
2 cups heavy whipping cream, whipped
Green food coloring (optional)

For the crust, pulse the pretzels and sugar in a food processor several times to combine. (We used a blender and it worked great.) Add the butter in a steady stream and process until well mixed. Press over the bottom and side of a 9 inch pie plate sprayed with non stick cooking spray.

For the pie, combine the lime juice, condensed milk, tequila and Triple Sec in a bowl and mix well. Fold in the whipped cream. Tint with green food coloring if you desire a deeper color. Spoon into the crust. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 4 hours or up to 1 week. Garnish with additional whipped cream and lime slices.

Note: Do not use fat-free or low-fat pretzels in the crust or the crust will not hold together when cutting. You may substitute graham crackers for the pretzels but the pretzel crust is the best. Serves 6 to 8.