Fluffernutter an' Key Lime Pie Paella Bombs

A full chicken and chorizo saffron paella gets crowned at the table with fried fluffernutter hand pies and a bright key lime curd, all dusted in graham crumbs and toasted coconut. Savory rice, a gooey peanut butter and marshmallow center, and a pucker of lime, all out of one pan.

Serves 8 · as served on Bluesky ↗

There's a particular kind of quiet that falls over a backyard when a paella pan comes out — everybody leans in for the saffron and the shrimp, and I like to give 'em something they weren't expecting once that rice is gone. My sister-in-law's book club still brings up the summer I dropped fried peanut butter and marshmallow hand pies right onto the tail end of a paella instead of plating dessert separate, and doggone if it didn't work, sweet and salty and a little bit unhinged in the best way. So this one's the real deal both ways: a proper chicken and chorizo saffron paella, crowned at the finish with fried fluffernutter hand pies and a fast key lime curd, dusted in graham crumbs and toasted coconut like the crust got up and wandered over. The rice does the savory heavy lifting, the pies bring the fair-food crunch, and that curd cuts through both with a little pucker right at the end. Serve it straight out of the pan while the pies are still cracking.

Ingredients

Fresh

• 1 piece onion (diced)
• 1 piece red bell pepper (diced)
• 4 clove garlic (minced)
• 1 tbsp lime zest

Fridge

• 1½ lb boneless chicken thighs (cut into 1-inch chunks)
• ½ lb chorizo (sliced into rounds)
• 16 piece refrigerated pie dough rounds (4-inch rounds)
• 1 piece egg (beaten)
• 3 piece egg yolks

Freezer

• 1 lb shrimp (peeled, deveined, thawed)
• 1 cup frozen peas

Pantry

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cup short grain rice (such as bomba or arborio)
• 4 cup chicken broth
• ¾ cup creamy peanut butter
• ¾ cup marshmallow fluff
• 4 cup vegetable oil (for frying)
• ½ cup key lime juice
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• ½ cup graham cracker crumbs
• ½ cup sweetened shredded coconut (toasted)

Spice rack

• ½ tsp saffron threads
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp salt

Directions

1. Whisk the egg yolks, sweetened condensed milk, key lime juice and lime zest together in a small saucepan, then cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 5 minutes; pour into a bowl and refrigerate until needed. ⏱ 5 min
2. Lay the pie dough rounds out on the counter, spoon a dab of peanut butter and marshmallow fluff onto one half of each round, fold into a half-moon, crimp the edges tight with a fork, then brush the tops with the beaten egg.
3. Heat the vegetable oil in a deep, heavy pot to 350 degrees and fry the hand pies in batches until deep golden on both sides, about 3 minutes per side, then drain on a rack. ⏱ 6 min
4. Heat the olive oil in a paella pan or large skillet over medium-high heat and brown the chicken thighs and chorizo, then transfer both to a plate.
5. Add the onion and red bell pepper to the pan and cook until softened, then stir in the garlic, short grain rice, saffron threads and smoked paprika and toast for a minute or two. ⏱ 2 min
6. Pour in the chicken broth, return the chicken and chorizo to the pan, season with the salt, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook without stirring until the rice is tender, about 20 minutes. ⏱ 20 min
7. Scatter the shrimp and frozen peas over the top, cover, and cook until the shrimp turn pink, about 5 minutes. ⏱ 5 min
8. Nestle the fried hand pies right into the hot paella around the edges of the pan, drizzle generously with the chilled key lime curd, then dust with the graham cracker crumbs and toasted coconut, and serve the whole pan straight to the table while everything's still hot.

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