Key Lime Pie Recipe
One of my husband's pet peeves is when a recipe on a blog starts with a long personal narrative and he's forced to scroll endlessly in order to get to the recipe. So I'll spare him the tale of when I was a teenager and made key lime pies at my family reunion. I put the pie in the oven to bake, and chased a cousin into the pool without washing my hands first. Turns out, pool water doesn't properly wash off lime juice, and the residual citrus combined with 100 degree sunshiny day led to second degree burns across both hands. Nobody in my family believed me when I was crying later that night from the pain (I'm the youngest of 12 cousins and they assumed I was just vying for the 'limelight'), until the next day when my skin subsequently turned black and the doctor confirmed it was a chemical burn, technically called "phytophotodermatitis," or more affectionately known as "margarita dermatitis." My hands were bandaged for weeks and I still bear the scars, so let this be a lesson as you mix your margs and prep your pies, wash well. But, I digress (sorry, babe). Here it is:
Pre-heat your oven to 325 degrees.
Pie Filling Ingredients
4 teaspoons finely grated lime zet (1-2 limes)
1/2 cup fresh lime juice (3-4 limes)
One 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk
4 egg yolks
Green food coloring (optional)
Whipped Cream Ingredients
One pint of Heavy Whipping Cream
2 Tablespoons of granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon of vanilla
Graham Cracker Crust Ingredients
One box of regular Graham Crackers
1/4 C firmly packed light brown sugar
1/3 C melted butter
Graham Cracker Crust: I used a 9 inch spring-form pan, but a regular 9 inch pie plate works just as well. Blend all three ingredients and spray pan well before pressing the mixture firmly into the pan. Make sure to get a nice high edge for your crust so the filling doesn't spill over.
Key Lime Filling: Whisk the zest and egg yolks in a bowl to blend well. Add the green food coloring if you want your pie to be chartreuse like my pictures below. If you skip the food coloring, your pie will be more of a neutral, soft yellow color. Beat in the milk and then the lime juice, set aside for ten minutes to allow it to thicken. Pour the mixture into the crust. It will only be a little more than half-full, but don't worry, whipped cream will fill the rest! Bake for just 15 minutes, then remove from the oven and allow it to cool to room temperature. Once it has completely cooled, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few hours until well chilled. This works great to serve for dessert when you are entertaining, as you can easily prepare in advance--all you need to do is add the whipped cream to the top before serving!
Whipped cream: Make sure your heavy whipping cream is cold before you whip it. It helps to have a chilled bowl as well. If you don't have room in your refrigerator to chill your mixing bowl, you can put a bag or two of frozen vegetables into the bowl for about ten minutes to get it cold before you begin. Beat the heavy cream while gradually adding the granulated sugar and the vanilla . You want firm peaks so it spreads nicely on the pie, but be careful that you don't over whip it, as it will become grainy or even appear curdled.
I sprinkled a little lime zest on top of my whipped cream for a decorative touch and added a freshly sliced fig!
Please pass us a slice of your dessert on @maggiebentleydesigns, we would love to hear from you!
