Day Two Hundred and Nine - Key LIme Pie

Dear all,

Today, I am back in the kitchen after allowing the Thanksgiving dinner to settle for a few days and decided to try my hand at the iconic, Key Lime Pie. This pie is an iconic American dish named after the smaller 'key limes' that are found down in Florida Keys.

Key limes are also known as the Mexican Lime or the West Indies Lime and the variety has been long treasured for its fruit and decorative foliage. They are much smaller than Persian Limes; the green limes are actually the immature fruits that are prized for their acidity.

So, I got to work after having found a [relatively easy looking] recipe on the internet. FYI: I cheated somewhat in that I bought a 'pie crust' from metro but feel that it is key at this stage in my baking career to take 'baby steps' and not to get intimidated by things such a 'pastry'.

Key Lime Pie:

15 graham rackers, crushed (equals 1 cup of crumbs)
2 tablespoons sugar
¼ cup butter
4 large eggs, yolks only (see the variation below and use the whites too)
14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
12 key limes, juiced or 1/2 cup fresh lime juice (3 to 4 regular limes)
2 teaspoons lime zest

1 cup whipping cream

Preheat oven to 350°.

Mix the crackers, butter and sugar together. Press into a 9” pie dish. Bake for 12 minutes until the pie shell is golden. Or buy one.

Meanwhile beat the egg yolks with an electric mixer until they lighten in color and thicken. Add the condensed milk and ½ of the lime juice, and whisk until combined.

Add the remaining lime juice and the lime zest. Mix to combine thoroughly.

Pour the lime mixture into the pie shell, and bake for 12 minutes

It is a miracle that the pie worked. I had put in some extra zest ( I like limes) and was a little concerned that it took 45 minutes rather than the recommended '10' but it tasted great and Darren even asked if it was a 'cheesecake' due to the creamy texture. Hurray!