Key lime pie is one of those extroadinarily easy recipes that end up convincing everyone you are a master chef because it is so delicious. Really anything is an improvement over the creepy pastel gelatinous substance you get if you order key lime pie in a crappy diner, but the secret to a really good homemade version is not to skimp on the lime juice and zest. plus an overly buttery, not-too-sweet graham cracker crust.
Key Lime Pie
2 packages graham crackers (usually 1/2 box)
6+ tbs unsalted butter
sugar to taste (a few tablespoons should do)
salt to taste
5 egg yolks, whisked together
1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk (it's good to an extra on hand)
lots and lots of limes, key or otherwise
vanilla whipped cream (heavy cream + vanilla + whisk)
Preheat 375. Crush your graham crackers - start by pounding on the bag with your fists, try a rolling pin/stomping, just be careful not to rip open the bag and create a crumb explosion. dump em into a bowl and crush any remaining large chunks with your fingers. alternately you can whiz them in a food processor, but i like the rougher texture when you do it by hand. add the sugar and salt to taste. melt the butter and pour it over the crumbs, and mix it in with your fingers. add more if it's not wet enough to hold together, but not so much that it gets soggy. press the crumbs into the bottom and sides of a spring form pan or pie dish. Bake for 5 - 10 minutes, until it starts to color but before it gets real brown.
Pour your sweetened condensed milk into a bowl and start juicing/zesting those limes. If you're using key limes, I'd say zest about 1/2 of the limes; if you're using regular, zest all of them. The zest makes the pie deliciously fragrant and beautifully green, but if you add a TON it might start to get bitter. Taste the filling after each lime and keep going until it tastes perfect. Don't be shy, no one likes a boring pie. If you go too far, crack open another can of condensed milk and add a little at a time until it balances out. If you want a higher filling to crust ratio, go ahead and use 2 full cans of condensed milk plus however many limes it takes. when the taste is good, beat in those egg yolks, then pour the filling over the crust. Bake another 10 - 20 minutes, depending on how much filling you've got. When the pie is ready, it should be firm on the edges and still a bit jiggly in the middle. refrigerate for a LONG TIME, like AT LEAST TWO HOURS. It's really hard to resist eating it early but if you try it will ooze out all over your plate which is just depressing after all of that work. serve with vanilla whipped cream. enjoy!
Key Lime Pie
2 packages graham crackers (usually 1/2 box)
6+ tbs unsalted butter
sugar to taste (a few tablespoons should do)
salt to taste
5 egg yolks, whisked together
1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk (it's good to an extra on hand)
lots and lots of limes, key or otherwise
vanilla whipped cream (heavy cream + vanilla + whisk)
Preheat 375. Crush your graham crackers - start by pounding on the bag with your fists, try a rolling pin/stomping, just be careful not to rip open the bag and create a crumb explosion. dump em into a bowl and crush any remaining large chunks with your fingers. alternately you can whiz them in a food processor, but i like the rougher texture when you do it by hand. add the sugar and salt to taste. melt the butter and pour it over the crumbs, and mix it in with your fingers. add more if it's not wet enough to hold together, but not so much that it gets soggy. press the crumbs into the bottom and sides of a spring form pan or pie dish. Bake for 5 - 10 minutes, until it starts to color but before it gets real brown.
Pour your sweetened condensed milk into a bowl and start juicing/zesting those limes. If you're using key limes, I'd say zest about 1/2 of the limes; if you're using regular, zest all of them. The zest makes the pie deliciously fragrant and beautifully green, but if you add a TON it might start to get bitter. Taste the filling after each lime and keep going until it tastes perfect. Don't be shy, no one likes a boring pie. If you go too far, crack open another can of condensed milk and add a little at a time until it balances out. If you want a higher filling to crust ratio, go ahead and use 2 full cans of condensed milk plus however many limes it takes. when the taste is good, beat in those egg yolks, then pour the filling over the crust. Bake another 10 - 20 minutes, depending on how much filling you've got. When the pie is ready, it should be firm on the edges and still a bit jiggly in the middle. refrigerate for a LONG TIME, like AT LEAST TWO HOURS. It's really hard to resist eating it early but if you try it will ooze out all over your plate which is just depressing after all of that work. serve with vanilla whipped cream. enjoy!
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