Key Lime Pie

My husband is a huge fan of Key Lime Pie. I've made several and this is his absolute favorite. It's tart and cool, perfect for summer. I actually cheat and use regular limes for several reasons: 1) Key Limes are expensive, 2) Key Limes are a big ol' pain in the rear to juice, yielding what seems to be around 2 drops of juice per lime, and 3) I can't taste the difference anyway.


Crust
1 cup plus 2 ½ tablespoons graham cracker crumbs
5 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
1/3 cup sugar

Filling
3 egg yolks
Zest of 2 limes
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2/3 cup fresh squeezed lime juice

Topping
1 cup heaving whipping cream
3 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar



For Crust:
Preheat oven to 350°. Butter and parchment a 9 inch springform pan (you could use a pie pan as well).

Combine all crust ingredients in one bowl and mix until combined (it should look like sand).

Press mixture into pan and bake until the crust is set, about 8 minutes. Set aside.


For Filling:
In an electric mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the egg yolks and zest at high speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Gradually add the condensed milk and continue to beat until thick, about 3 or 4 minutes longer. Lower the mixer speed and slowly add lime juice, mixing just until combined, no longer. Pour into pie crust and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the filling has set (not browned). Cool on wire rack, then refrigerate.

For Topping:
Whip the cream and confectioner’s sugar until nearly stiff. Refrigerate until ready to use. I used a star tip and icing bag to decorate the pie, but you could easily just plop a big dollop on each slice as it's served.

I found this recipe while watching Food Network. It's from Joe's Stone Crab in Florida.

Random tip: Use your fingers to separate yolks from whites. It's much quicker than the back-and-forth-between-shells method. Just crack the egg into your hand and let the whites slip through your fingers.