I received a bag of Mexican limes from my in-laws last weekend and I was quite at a loss about what to do with them. I used some to make lime-based lemonade and a delicious salad dressing but I still had plenty left. But then I remembered about key lime pie! It was also perfect because I had plenty of leftover sweetened condensed milk in the fridge.
I like eating lemon and lime desserts once in a while because they are just so different from traditional sweet desserts. In the key lime pie, the tartness of the limes is contrasted with the mellow and creamy filling made from sweetened condensed milk. The lime juice and lime zest give the kind of freshness that is perfect for a summer dessert. On the other hand, limes contain plenty of vitamin C so they are also good for winter when we all try to prevent coming down with a flu.
Necessary equipment:
- measuring cups
- a food processor
- a wooden spoon
- a glass pie plate
- a large mixing bowl
- a whisk
- a rubber scraper
- a medium mixing bowl
Ingredients:
Crust:
- 1 1/2 cup of whole grain graham cracker crumbs
- 4 T. of melted butter
- 1/2 cup of while cane sugar
Filling:
- 2 eggs
- 28 ounces of sweetened condensed milk (how to make sweetened condensed milk)
- 1 cup of lime juice
- 1 T. of freshly zested lime zest
Topping:
- 1 cup of sour cream
- 3 T. of raw honey
- additional lime zest and lime wheels for garnish
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
The crust:
- Combine melted butter with graham cracker crumbs and sugar. It’s best to use a food processor to make the crumbs. Stir them together until you get a wet sand-like consistency.
- Transfer the crust mixture onto a glass pie plate and spread evenly to form the bottom layer of your pie.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until slightly browned.
- Lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees.
The filling:
- Whisk the eggs in a large mixing bowl.
- Add in the lime juice, lime zest, and sweetened condensed milk. Stir to combine.
- Pour the filling onto the baked pie crust.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until the center looks set.
- Put in the fridge to chill for at least two hours (or even better, leave it there overnight).
The topping:
- Combine the sour cream and honey in a medium-sized bowl.
- Spread on top of your chilled lime pie.
- Sprinkle the top with lime zest and decorate with lime wheels.
Enjoy this delicious key lime pie!