Baking the BEST Key lime pie

I sent sweetie to the grocery store the other day for limes so I could make a Skinny Girl margarita. Instead of the usual fat dark green Persians, he returned home with a bag of Key limes. Which are actually from Mexico, but that's a story for another day. So, what's a girl to do but make a Key lime pie? I've had a lot of Key lime pies over the years, and have fiddled with various recipes, and this, in my (and sweetie's), opinion is the best. I've included the recipe at the end of this blog.

First, do NOT use that horrid, tasteless cardboard masquerading as a graham cracker crust in the grocery store baking section. A crust can make or break a pie and this one is so easy, if you're actually going to bake a homemade pie, why not do it right?



As I said, there are a lot of different recipes for Key lime pie, but the one I prefer uses four large egg yolks.



While I was whisking the eggs, the assistant pastry chef began squeezing the key limes. It took an entire bag for a 9" pie. (Those spots of white paint you may see on his hands is from when he'd been priming the newly remodeled master bathroom walls earlier. Did I mention he's very versatile?)


Next I blended the whisked eggs with a can of sweetened condensed milk. I've tried the nonfat version before, and trust me, it doesn't taste nearly as good. So, my reasoning is that since a great piece of pie is an occasional indulgence, you might as well forget about calories.


Because I like my Key lime pie on the tart side, to contrast with the sweetness of the crust, and because it adds a lovely punch of color, I included a bit of grated zest from a brighter green Persian lime. Key limes, by the way, yellow as they ripen, but you can use them while they're still green for baking. A true Key lime pie bakes up pale yellow. As a pie purist, I'm not at all fond of recipes that suggest adding green food coloring or worse (shudder!) green Jell-O powder.


A short time in the oven, at least an hour in the refrigerator, and you're ready to serve. Some people prefer to serve it plain, savoring the unadorned glory that is a Key lime pie. Others top with meringue. Personally, I think that's overkill, and besides, Key lime is more a summer pie, and meringue can be tricky to make during summer humidity. So I opted for just a bit of whipped cream brightened with more zest I'd set aside.



Here, as promised, is the way simple recipe.

The crust:

1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs.
3 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

The filling:

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
4 large egg yolks
1/2 cup lime juice. Takes around 20 Key limes, or 5 Persian limes if Key limes aren't available.
Zest from one Persian lime.

Preheat the oven to 340 degrees F. (Various recipes will tell you different times and anywhere from 325 degrees to 350. This is what works best in my oven.)

In a medium bowl, blend the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter together with a fork. Mix until the graham cracker crumbs are moist and stick together. Press mixture into a 9 inch pie pan (mine happens to be Pyrex) with your fingers until it's evenly spread. You'll find recipes that tell you to use parchment and rice or beans to hold down the crust while baking. That's helpful with flour crusts, but I've never found it necessary for a graham cracker one.

Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Set on rack to cool.

While the crust is baking, prepare filling.

In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks until they're a light yellow. Then pour in the sweetened condensed milk, making sure you've scraped it all out of the can with a rubber spatula, and continue whisking until well blended. Add the lime zest and juice. Set the mixture aside for a few minutes -- while the pie crust cools to slightly warm or room temperature -- to allow it to thicken. While it's thickening, unless it's already there, boost the oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Pour the filling into the pie crust. Bake 15 minutes. Remove from oven and place on a rack. When cool, chill the pie in the refrigerator. The pie will set up even more as it chills. Chill for at least one hour or overnight before serving.

Serve cold, either plain or garnished with whipped cream.

Enjoy, bask in the accolades, and you needn't ever tell anyone how easy it was to bake a fabulous Key lime pie!