(Key) Lime Pie!

Key lime pie is one of my absolute favorite desserts. When my family would go on vacation in Florida we would split pieces of key lime pie for dessert every night. Then we would come home and rate the pie we'd had and I would keep track of it in a chart. The last night we would go to the top-ranked pie restaurant to relive the glory. I rarely order key lime pie at restaurants outside of Florida though, because oftentimes it tastes horrible. After all those Florida pies I have become a bit of a picky key lime pie gal. Hence why I've decided to make my own. I've made this recipe before and it was amazing. So if you like key lime pie, please make this today!

First, we will make the graham cracker crust because if you are like me you can't make a pie crust to save your life. Dump one sleeve of graham crackers (9 full crackers) into your food processor.

Now grind the crap out of 'em. You need to grind these a lot because there are often stray clumps here and there. Like pesky pieces which you will conquer eventually with enough pulsing!

Now dump your crumbs into a mixing bowl (ugh please ignore the clumps I let in).

Now add 1/4 cup sugar to the bowl.

Next add in 6 tablespoons of butter (3/4 of a stick) melted butter. You want this to cool down a bit after you melt it and before you add it to the mix.

Now mix it all together with a fork until it becomes nice and crumbly.

Dump the mixture into your pie dish and use your (clean) fingers to mush it evenly over the entire pan. The crust doesn't need to go all the way up to the top because your pie filling isn't too deep. Now bake the crust at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool the baked crust before filling it.

To make the delicious filling, start with the juice of about 4 limes (or key limes if you are lucky) - you want 1/2 cup of lime juice. Do not use the bottled stuff, please, thank you, okay moving on.

Add three egg yolks into a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of your electric mixer). For some reason I think these yolks look quite cute together.

Now add in the lime juice and mix together a bit.

Now add in one full can (14-15 oz) of sweetened condensed milk, aka the nectar of the gods. Any recipe with this will always be good.

This is what it looks like before mixing. Not too appetizing, let's be honest.

This is what it looks like after you mix it on low for a couple of minutes. You want it to be creamy and thicken up quite a bit. If you are using a hand mixer, please put on an apron or else you will be soon wearing key lime pie filling. Just warning you! Now place the filling in the cooled crust and bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees (or until the filling no longer quivers if you jiggle the pan).

And your delicious creation will look like this! Refrigerate the pie for at least an hour before eating, preferably a bit more.The problem with pies is that when you make them for company you can't exactly sneak a piece before they show up. And I don't get to eat it for another day. Sigh. I'm definitely a whipped cream person, and I encourage you to be too. So slather on a bunch before chowing down.

Key Lime Pie (from an expert)

Crust:
9 Graham Crackers
1/4 cup sugar
6 tablespoons melted butter (3/4 stick)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Crush the graham crackers in a food processor until fine. Add in 1/4 cup sugar and then add in 6 tablespoon melted, cooled butter. Mix together until crumbly and then place in a pie dish and use fingers to press crust into the pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes, until golden brown. Cool the crust before placing the filling inside.

Filling:
1/2 cup fresh lime juice (from about 4 limes)
3 egg yolks
One (14-15 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

Juice 4 limes to make 1/2 cup lime juice. Add three egg yolks to a bowl and then add the 1/2 cup lime juice. Add one can sweetened condensed milk. Mix together with a hand or electric mixer until smooth and thickened. Add filling to cooled graham cracker crust and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, until filling no longer quivers when pan is jiggled. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.