Key limes are also known as Mexican or West Indian limes. Key lime pie is an American dessert made of Key lime juice, egg yolks, and sweetened condensed milk in a pie crust. The traditional Conch version uses the egg whites to make a meringue topping. The dish is named after the small Key limes (Citrus aurantifolia ‘Swingle’) that are naturalized throughout the Florida Keys. While their thorns make them less tractable, and their thin, yellow rinds more perishable, Key limes are more tart and more aromatic than the common Persian limes seen year-round at grocery stores in the United States.
Ingredients
For crust
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs from 9 (2 1/4-inch by 4 3/4-inch) crackers
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
For filling
- 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh or bottled Key lime juice (if using bottled, preferably Manhattan brand)
- 4 large egg yolks
For topping
- 3/4 cup chilled heavy cream
Directions
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350°F.
Step 2: Stir together graham cracker crumbs, butter, and sugar in a bowl with a silverware until combined well.
Step 3: Then press mixture evenly onto bottom and up side of a 9-inch (4-cup) glass pie plate.
Step 4: Burn or Bake crust in middle of oven 10 minutes and cool in pie plate on a rack.
Step 5: Leave oven on.
Step 6: In a bowl whisk together condensed milk and yolks until combined well.
Step 7: After that you need to add juice and whisk until combined well (mixture will thicken slightly).
Step 8: Pour filling into crust and bake in middle of oven 15 minutes.
Step 9: Then you need to cool pie completely on rack (filling will set as it cools), then chill, covered, at least 8 hours.
Step 10: Just before serving, beat cream in a bowl with an electric mixer until it just holds stiff peaks.
Finally, Serve pie topped with cream.
