If you stress-bake, raise your hand!
Last week, Key limes were on sale at the grocery store, so I bought two bags. You can also buy a bottle of Key lime juice (which I often do), but the limes make for a tangier, zingier pie. Plus, there is the martyr factor of juicing the limes yourself.
I make this simple pie in an hour, start to finish. It’s so easy! If you buy a bottle of juice, it’s also easy to whip together out of the pantry in case of last-minute potluck or company. Graham cracker crusts are quick and easy, too, requiring no space to roll out. Why would you ever buy one?
Graham Cracker Crust
Makes one 9″ pie crust
Ingredients:
1 package graham crackers (about 9 crackers), crushed
3-4 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place butter in pie plate and place in oven until melted. I use 3 T for a crispier crust. More butter gives a chewier result.
While butter is melting, take graham crackers and smush them in their package. Add cracker bits and sugar to a food processor or blender and pulse until fine.
Add cracker crumb and sugar mixture to the melted butter. Mix until combined. Use a serving spoon to smooth out the mixture evenly in the pie plate.
When the mixture is pressed evenly in the pie plate, bake at 350 for 3-5 minutes, just to toast slightly.
While the crust is baking, mix up the pie filling!
Key Lime Pie Filling
Makes one 9″ pie
Ingredients:
2 egg yolks
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup Key lime juice
1-2 tsp lime zest
Optional:
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2-3 drops green food coloring
Mix egg yolks, can of sweetened condensed milk, and lime zest in a medium mixing bowl. I like to whisk gently.
Oh, toss in some lime zest.
Love these things.
I cut them in quarters and juiced them using my garlic press! Sometimes I just grab the bottle of juice from the fridge, though. It’s much faster. When juicing the limes, I squeeze them into my liquid measuring cup until I have the 1/2 cup called for by the recipe. Easy! Then I pour the juice through a strainer to catch any seeds or pulp.
Then whisk all that up. Fresh juice tends to be a little more tart and tangy (which I like), but I often add a few tablespoons of lemon juice to mellow it out. I skip it when I use bottled juice. Some people really like their pie to be GREEN, and you could add some food coloring now if you are one of them. The green flecks of zest are enough for me!
By now the crust is out of the oven and ready to go! Pour the filling in and smooth it out to the edges.
Now bake at 350F for 15 minutes. Let cool and chill before serving, approximately 2 hours.
Serve with fresh berries and/or whipped cream. Or just eat it. You can’t really go wrong!
For a deep dish pie, use another 1.5 packages of graham crackers, 4-6 tablespoons butter, 3/4 cup lime juice, 3 egg yolks, and two 14-oz cans of sweetened condensed milk. But only if you have enough people to help you eat it!
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I’ve found if you whip up the egg whites and fold them into the recipe it makes a lighter pie. I have never cooked mine. The lime juice cooks the yolks. Give this method a try.