How to make Key Lime Pie

Only one blog post this week?  Sheesh - and I call myself a blogger!  We've had company from Matt's parents this week so I haven't had time to take photos and prepare posts.  I did, however, make this pie last night and thought I would share it with all of you!

A Key lime pie in October?  Wait, what?  We're just now getting into the most beautiful part of the year and here I am making something that reminds me of the hot, sticky days of summer?  Well, I promise there's a good reason for it.  My father-in-law loves him some Key lime pie, and I realized that I've never ever made him one!  To be fair, we live on opposite coasts so I don't get many chances per year, but I while I was out grocery shopping yesterday I realized that there's really no reason for me not to make one this week, and they're so darn easy that I knew I could have the thing together in less than an hour.

Whether you use a pre-made graham cracker pie shell or make your own, there's really not a whole lot of skill involved with putting this pie together.  I chose to make my own whipped cream and pipe it into the pie to make it pretty, but if you don't have time for that, go right ahead and reach for that handy spray can.  You can also eat this with meringue or without any topping at all, and it'll still be delicious!

Easy Key Lime Pie

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• Author: Erin Browne
• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins
• Total Time: 25 mins
• Yield: 8-10 1x

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Ingredients

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• FOR CRUST:
• 16 graham crackers, crushed
• 3 TBS white sugar
• 4oz unsalted butter (1 stick)
• PIE FILLING:
• 4 large egg yolks
• 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
• ½ cup fresh key lime juice (bottled or about 12 key limes)
• 2 tsp lime zest
• WHIPPED CREAM TOPPING (optional)
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 4 tsp white sugar
• ½ tsp pure vanilla extract

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Instructions

1. CRUST:
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
3. Mix the ingredients together and press them into a 9 inch pie plate
4. Bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly browned.
5. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature.
6. PIE FILLING:
7. In a stand mixer, beat the egg yolks on medium speed until they are thick.
8. Add the sweetened condensed milk, and with the mixer on low, drizzle ½ of the lime juice and mix until incorporated.
9. Add the other half of the juice and the zest and mix for a few more seconds.
10. Pour the mixture into the pie shell.
11. Bake at 350F for 12 minutes to set the eggs.
12. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature on the counter, and then refrigerate for several hours.
13. WHIPPED CREAM:
14. In a stainless steel bowl, combine cream, sugar, and vanilla and whip with hand or stand mixer until peaks form. Pipe or dollop onto pie and serve.

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I should note that I used a regular Persian lime for the garnish and for the zest, and I used Nellie and Joe's Key West Lime Juice in the filling.  Our friends told us about it, and it certainly saves you the time of having to juice a ton of teeny little Key limes.  And if you absolutely can't find either Key limes or the bottled juice, you can go ahead and use Persian limes.  The Key limes are more acidic and offer more tartness and zip to the flavor, but both variations will be yummy.

Just please for the love of all that is holy, don't use the "lime juice" that you can buy in the little green plastic limes in the produce area of your grocery store.  You'll thank me later.

Enjoy!!