Key Lime Pie

I have always enjoyed Key Lime Pie. I made my first Key Lime Pie when we lived in Ft. Lauderdale 25 years ago and it has become a family favorite. My Dad and Ginny took a trip to the Keys for some fishing and relaxing. On their property was a key lime tree. My Dad thought it would be a great idea to pick up some of the limes that had fallen to the ground and bring them back to me to make a pie. It seems he also had a recipe from the Tampa Tribune for a Key Lime Pie. Something tells me he had a plan before they even left for the Keys. Hmmm….

When they arrived at our house, we proceeded to hand squeeze the limes. If you are not aware, key limes are about the size of a quarter and each lime yields about 2 Tablespoons of juice. Luckily, he brought a bag full. Our hands were a little sore by the time we got the 2/3 cup of juice we needed.

We made the pie and it was wonderful! I have only made the pie one other time using fresh key lime juice. After that, I switched over to Nellie & Joe’s Key West Lime Juice. It is just as good as fresh and can be found at almost any grocery store in the country. This makes it convenient if you want a pie when you are in Oregon, North Carolina or wherever.

The pie is easy to make. I hope you will give it a try and let me know what you think!

Ingredients

Crust

5 Tbsp melted butter

1 Cup plus 2 1/2 Tbsp graham cracker crumbs

1/3 cup sugar

Filling

3 egg yolks

1 1/2 tsp grated lime zest

1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

2/3 cup key lime juice

Whipped Cream Topping

1 Cup heavy cream

3 Tbsp powdered Sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. In a large mixing bowl combine the graham crackers, butter & sugar. Press mixture into bottom and sides of a buttered 9″ pie plate, forming a neat border around the edge. Bake crust until set and golden. About 5 minutes

Using an electric mixer with a whisk attachment beat egg yolks and lime zest at high speed until very shiny, about 5 minutes. Gradually add condensed milk and continue to beat until thick, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed of mixer to low. Add lime juice and mix until just combined.

Pour lime mixture into crust. Bake until filling has set, about 10 minutes. Cool to room temp then refrigerate.

To serve: place pie in freezer 15-20 minutes before serving. Cut into 6 or 8 pieces and serve with whipped cream.