Eat to the Beat: Key Lime Pie

The Bishop of the Episcopal Upper Diocese of South Carolina was visiting the other week and he came to our young adults group. I was in charge of making the dessert, and one of the desserts I decided to make was Key Lime Pie. I had never made a Key Lime Pie before and was anxious to try it out. It’s also one of David’s favorite desserts and he had been wanting me to make one for a while. Since it’s summer and has been pretty hot, I thought a light dessert would go over well. So I decided that this was the perfect time to make my first Key Lime Pie. I turned to Cook’s Illustrated for a good recipe.

They did not disappoint! The Key Lime Pie was gone very quickly and everyone really liked it. I really liked the graham cracker crust. Often the recipe for a graham cracker crust is not enough to cover the whole pie dish, but this one made for a nice, thick crust. The filling was very flavorful and had the right amount of sweetness. I would definitely make this again and my husband (who ate 2 pieces) was finally satisfied with a Key Lime Pie. Unfortunately I could not get a picture of the inside of the pie, but I can assure you it was delicious 🙂

In addition to being fit for a Bishop’s dessert, Key Lime Pie also reminds me of being at the beach during the summer. It reminds me of my vacation in Key West many years ago when I ate some really tasty pie. This is also my entry for Eat to the Beat, which is hosted by Elly of Elly Says Opa! Kenny Chesney sings a fun summer song that’s also called “Key Lime Pie” that makes me wish I was out on the beach relaxing in the sun. I think most people would agree that Key Lime Pie is a classic summer dessert!

Key Lime Pie

Lime Filling

4 teaspoons grated lime zest
½ cup lime juice from 3 to 4 limes
4 large egg yolks
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

Graham Cracker Crust

11 graham crackers, processed to fine crumbs (1 ¼ cups)
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Whipped Cream Topping

¾ cup heavy cream
¼ cup confectioners’ sugar
½ lime, sliced paper thin and dipped in sugar (optional)

For the Filling: Whisk zest and yolks in medium bowl until tinted light green, about 2 minutes. Beat in milk, then juice; set aside at room temperature to thicken.

For the Crust: Adjust oven rack to center position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Mix crumbs and sugar in medium bowl. Add butter; stir with fork until well blended. Pour mixture into 9-inch pie pan; press crumbs over bottom and up sides of pan to form even crust. Bake until lightly browned and fragrant, about 15 minutes. Transfer pan to wire rack; cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes.

Pour lime filling into crust; bake until center is set, yet wiggly when jiggled, 15 to 17 minutes. Return pie to wire rack; cool to room temperature. Refrigerate until well chilled, at least 3 hours. (Can be covered with lightly oiled or oil-sprayed plastic wrap laid directly on filling and refrigerated up to 1 day.)

For the Whipped Cream: Up to 2 hours before serving, whip cream in medium bowl to very soft peaks. Adding confectioners’ sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, continue whipping to just-stiff peaks. Decoratively pipe whipped cream over filling or spread evenly with rubber spatula. Garnish with optional sugared lime slices and serve.

Source: Cook’s Illustrated March 1997

I am also submitting this to the Fruit Frenzy event at Joelen’s Culinary Adventures. She has a bunch of blogging events going on, so be sure to check out her blog so you can enter!