Chocolate Key Lime Pie

Key Lime Pie has been on my to do list for about as long as I've had one.  After learning about the  #MadeWithChobani project, with the intent of creating new recipes with Greek yogurt, I figured it was time for a new Greek yogurt recipe.  I pondered the option for a few days, trying to think of the best choice.  A manager of mine celebrated a birthday recently, and when I asked what I could make for him to celebrate, he said he absolutely loved key lime pie topped with chocolate syrup.  So when it hit me that I could use the Greek yogurt in key lime pie, I just had to come up with a plan for the chocolate.  Initially I felt a crunchy chocolate top would go well, but then I realized I had yet to make a ganache.  The pie started growing: key lime pie became key lime pie with chocolate.  Then I decided that the whipped cream could use a little bit extra, so the full idea was spawned: key lime pie with chocolate ganache and lime whipped cream.



I thought about buying key lime juice in the bottle, but got some fresh key limes instead.  The pie takes only about 15 minutes to bake, so why not spend some extra time saved in baking and put it into fresh ingredients?  So I got to cutting them in half for juicing, and these limes seriously smelled amazing!

After squeezing them, I added what was left to a fruit infusing water pitcher. I paid $3.99 a pound for the fresh key limes, so you can bet I was determined to get out all the juice I could.  Plus, there's nothing like having fresh fruit-flavored water.

It took only about 15 minutes to juice the limes.  I just cut them in half and squeezed the juice into a bowl, then filtered it through a strainer to get the seeds and pulp out. I got a half cup of juice out of about 10 limes. Then, I moved on to the filling.

The filling was easy--I just took 5 egg yolks, sweetened condensed milk, and some greek yogurt and beat them together.  Since I was adding the yogurt in addition to the milk, I used an extra egg yolk from the original recipe that called for 4.  Then, I stirred in the lime juice.

I poured the filling into 2 small crusts and got them in the oven for 15 minutes. To simplify the process, I used some pre-bought graham crusts.  The recipe was for a 9 inch pie, so by splitting it in two I did end up with a lower level in the crust, but I knew the topping would make that up.  I let them cool down after baking then chilled them overnight.

I melted down the chocolate next, using 3 Ghiradelli squares of 60% cocoa dark chocolate (the .375 ounce ones) and 1 full bar of Trader Joe's dark chocolate (this one was even richer--1.65 ounces of 72% cocoa).  So basically, I melted together a bit more than 2 ounces of two rich chocolates together to make a lovely pool of warm dark chocolate for the ganache.  It melted quickly--the chocolate was frozen and it still only took about 3-4 minutes.

Once melted, I gently stirred in some greek yogurt and a bit of vanilla.  And bam!  Easy chocolate ganache.

I followed the recipe for whipped cream from the Blueberry Chocolate Torte recipe, but added in some lime juice.  Since I was topping the key lime pie with chocolate, I felt a hint of lime in the top layer would go nice.

So to build up my layers a bit, I spread the ganache over the key lime, then put my whipped cream in a piping bag and decorated.

The finished product was super cute!

This is a pie of many flavors, for certain.  Slightly tart with the lime, the rich flavor of dark chocolate ganache, topped with the sweet whipped cream.  First, let me tell you...lime whipped cream was a great idea!  The sweet and slightly sour flavors are perfect together, and though I knew I was taking a chance throwing that extra flavor in, I'm glad I did.  Overall, I really enjoyed the key lime and chocolate flavors together, though I would not have thought of it without the prompting of my boss.  I felt the balance was great.  I brought some samples into work for others to try before I got to give my manager his own.  A few folks really liked the combination, but one said there were too many flavors.  So keep that in mind if you are considering this for those who aren't big chocolate fans or don't like the mix of flavors.  I am bringing the other whole pie for delivery this afternoon, so I'm hoping my boss loves it as much as I did.  Overall, I call this one an experiment that turned into a success!

Chocolate Key Lime Pie Recipe

Greek Yogurt Key Lime Pie with Chocolate Ganache and Lime Whipped Cream

Ingredients:

For the pie:
5 egg yolks
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 cup key lime juice (juice of about 8 limes)
1 graham pie crust (9 inches) (or 2 smaller crusts)

For the chocolate ganache:
2 ounces dark chocolate
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the lime whipped cream:
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons key lime juice

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake crust for 10 minutes. If using fresh limes, cut limes in half. Squeeze to juice or use a juicer. In a large bowl, whisk or use a fork to mix together condensed milk and yolks until well combined, then beat in the Greek yogurt. Add juice and mix well. Pour filling into crust and bake in middle of oven 15 minutes. Cool pie on rack, then cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.

To make the ganache, melt the dark chocolate in a microwavable bowl or in a double boiler. Gently fold in Greek yogurt until just mixed, then stir in vanilla extract. Cool slightly before spreading over pie.

For the whipped cream topping, beat heavy cream for about 2 minutes, until light and fluffy. Stir in powdered sugar and vanilla extract, then mix in lime juice. Add to piping bag and decorate top of pie.

Adapted from the following recipes: key lime pie & yogurt chocolate ganache