Key Lime Pie

When summer hits my baking decreases.  It’s just not as much fun to sit in a hot kitchen when it is 100% humidity outside.  My cookies flatten, my butter melts and lets face it I’m not too much fun to be around.  Don’t fret, the baking never stops, but I find my tastes change in the summer.  I long for smoothies and fruity dessert options in place of my usual chocolate.  Cue the Key Lime Pie.

 My friend John loves Key Lime Pie and since it was his birthday it gave me an excuse to try baking one.  Key Lime Pie was not a staple in my home growing up.  I actually didn’t try it until a couple years ago, but anything with a graham cracker crust and a tart, custardy filling is a keeper in my book.  Plus this pie may be one of the easiest pies I have ever made.  To start I looked around comparing different sites to see how most people made their pies.  All the recipes I found were pretty much exactly the same except one odd site that added sour cream.  My next dilemma was finding the key limes.  Key limes are smaller limes then the regular Persian limes which make them more acidic and tart.  I looked around at a few different stores and when I had no luck I substituted with regular limes which work just as well. 

Making the pie was a piece of cake.  This really is the perfect summer treat.  It doesn’t require slaving over a hot stove and best of all it is chilled, served cold with whipped cream on top.  Really is there anything better for a summer treat.  This pie is a must for the hot, humid months ahead.  Plus it got rave reviews from the birthday boy!

Ta Da... the final product!

Key Lime Pie

(1 pie = 8 servings)

Graham Cracker Crust

1 ¼ cup Graham Cracker Crumbs

3 Tbsps sugar

1/3 cup butter melted 

Key Lime Filling

1 Tbsp grated lime zest  

4 egg yolks

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

½ cup fresh lime juice

Whipped Cream

1 ½ cups heavy cream

3 Tbsps powdered sugar (less or more depending on your preference)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine Graham Cracker Crumbs and sugar in a bowl.  Stir in melted butter until thoroughly mixed.  Press firmly into a 9-inch pie pan, pressing firmly to the bottom and up the sides.  Bake for 8 minutes then set aside to cool while making the key lime filling.

Whisk lime zest and egg yolk together in a bowl for about 2 minutes. Whisk in the sweetened condensed milk and then the lime juice.  Set aside to thicken for maybe 10 minutes and then pour into the cooled crust.  Bake until the center is set, yet still wiggly when jiggled, about 15-17 minutes.  Refrigerate until well chilled, about 3 hours.

Using a mixture beat the heavy cream until soft peaks form.  Add the sugar at the end until stiff peaks form.  I like to add sugar until it tastes just right which can be less or more than 3 Tbsps depending on your sweetness preference. 

Using a spatula spread the whipped cream over the top of the cooled pie and decorate with the left over lime zest.