Key Lime Pie
Classic Key lime pie filling is made of four simple ingredients: sweetened condensed milk, Key lime juice, egg yolks, and lime zest. The filling is added to a graham cracker crust and then baked. Once cooled, it's topped with whipped cream and served.
Use ordinary market limes. Unless you live in the Florida Keys or Texas, real key limes are nearly impossible to find. Ordinary limes make a great Key lime pie. Always use fresh juice not bottled.
About 8 to 10 ordinary limes or 20 key limes. Juice with a reamer and zest the limes before you squeeze the juice from them.
You can use a couple of drops of green food coloring if you want a more green look.
Ingredients
Crust
1½ cups finely crushed graham cracker crumbs
⅓ cup packed light brown sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Filling
1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
3 egg yolks
2 teaspoons Key lime zest
1/2 cup Key lime juice
Topping
1 cup cold heavy cream
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
Preparation
Crust
Preheat oven to 375 °F and set an oven rack in the middle position.
In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, and melted butter; stir with a fork first, and then your hands until the mixture is well combined. Using your fingers and the bottom of a glass, press the crumbs firmly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9 x 1.5-inch deep-dish pie pan. The crust should be about ¼-inch thick.
Bake for 10 minutes, until just slightly browned. Let the crust cool.
Filling
Lower the oven temperature to 350°F.
In a large bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, egg yolks, lime zest, and lime juice. Pour the thick mixture into the warm graham cracker crust. Bake for 15 minutes, until the filling is almost set; it should wobble a bit. Let cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, then place in the refrigerator to chill, for 3 to 4 hours.
Topping
Using an electric mixer, beat the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add the confectioners’ sugar and beat until firmer peaks form. Top the pie with the whipped cream. Decorate with the lime zest. Store the pie in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Keywords: Pie Dessert
